


Solitude's Light

by NerdCat_Aydsa



Series: Trickles of light [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Child Abuse, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, OT6, Physical Abuse, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-28
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-04-23 20:19:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 41,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4890754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdCat_Aydsa/pseuds/NerdCat_Aydsa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where society is divided into two class systems, it is hard to be born into a class system that is considered to be less than human and treated with nothing but contempt, hatred and discrimination. Kuroko Tetsuya's existence has been rife with tales of abuse and exploitation. His only hope from this hell are the five names imprinted on his wrist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Trigger warnings: there will be some scenes of abuse and violence throughout the whole story...please be careful if it does trigger flashbacks or memories.)
> 
> Thank you for being so supportive everybody. This story is dedicated to fellow Kuroko no Basuke fans... :-) Without further ado, please enjoy yourselves. :-3

After joining Teikou high school, one of the most prestigious schools in the country, the feeling of isolation and loneliness became even more pronounced.

Kuroko felt the overwhelming feeling of isolation evoked by the suffocatingly ruthless culture of the school. As a person whose personality is practically the manifestation of invisibility and whose presence is so innately quiet and unassuming, the superior attitudes displayed by his classmates on a daily basis cut like blades on his skin.

He had initially hoped that the hateful discrimination and unwelcome attitudes other students displayed would slowly lessen and change once he became more integrated in the school's student body, but he was sorely mistaken. It seems as if the longer he's there the more he finds himself at the receiving end of disparaging words and physical harassment.

Sometimes during his darkest moments, when he finds himself believing in nothing but the cruelty of the world. When he begins to despair of finding any hope or escape from the darkness in his life, the slightly raised edges of his wrist would spark back the dying embers of his hope.

Everyday sitting on the cold floors of his home listening to the sound of flesh hitting flesh, sounds of shattering alcohol glasses upon hard linoleum floors and the sounds of his mother sobbing, his fingers would trace the contours of five barely visible names over and over again until the skin would chafe and sometimes bleed.

Then there were really bad days. Days where he would find no escape from the fists and cutting words of other students only to return to his house to face the drunken rage of his father. Those days were the days where he would cling onto the feel of the names on his wrist and pray with all his might.

Sitting on the cold marble floors of his home, afraid to move because of the licking pain travelling up his body and the bruises he knew were starting to form on his skin, there was nothing holding him back from the razor blades hidden in his school bags or the pills containing lethal dosages stored at the back of his drawer except for the names on his wrist.

The names of his soul bonded. The ones who would understand him irrevocably, and the ones who would complete his soul. They were the feelings he knew he was supposed to have, they were the parts that complemented and completed him and they were the whispers in the corners of his mind in the quiet of the night when the feeling of incompleteness stirred strongest. It was them that he lived for.

Even if he can't read their names on his wrist yet, even if he doesn't even have an inkling about who they are, the phantom feeling of them always hovering there on the edges of his mind was enough for him to hang on to.

He was also aware that the soul bond does not mean that they will accept him. The soul bond was only there because it was a natural normal biological trait all humans had. It did not mean that they would accept him. In the end, everything came down to choice. He knew that, but foolishly he could not let go of his yearning because in his heart he still held hope that he could find something better. Something more than the life of minimal human rights and the hell of being an Inferior.

The bond was the only reason he's alive today. It had saved him from the despair of his suffering under his father's hands since he was nothing but a toddler and society's blatant disregard towards his suffering. He knew even though they did not accept him, it was enough for him to simply know how they're doing and who they are.

* * *

 

 

 

**CLASS SYSTEMS:**

**Inferiors** = people who are born with weaker bodies, lower IQs and weaker immune systems. All children are put through tough physical and mental tests that determine their class at the age of three, they are then recognized by the silver wrist bands given to them. They are seen as defects without any rights and are essentially only seen as pieces of property.

 **Superiors** = People who are born with stronger bodies, high IQs and a near perfect immune system. They are the ultimate human machines, they are so high functioning that their physical and mental abilities are nearly superhuman. They can be recognized by the gold bands on their wrists. Although some Superiors are not as smart as others, those that aren't will excel more in the physical department.

 **BONDS:**  
not everybody has a soul bond. If Superior citizens have a soul bond with Inferiors, they are killed if they refuse to work for the Supreme Council but kept as pawns to do dirty work if they choose to work for the government.


	2. Chapter 2

Kuroko woke up feeling groggy and slightly nauseous but the feeling came as no surprise to him after the painful beating he received yesterday night. With caution, he gently pulled himself out of the slumped position of his exhausted sleep on the floor of his little basement-like room. Padding over to his small bathroom he proceeded to prepare for school before his father was awake.

After packing his bags in his tiny barren bedroom, he pushed on his door hesitantly and was relieved to find that it had already been unlocked. The house was quiet and the sky was still dark but he was not eager to linger so he turned around to lock the outside bolts on his door.

He gave the kitchen a cursory glance when he felt his stomach softly grumble, but the sight of a bottle of scotch and shattered glass on the dining table quickly stopped any train of thoughts of sneaking out food. So he started to walk to school with the grim knowledge that today will be another bad day.

* * *

Kuroko arrived at school two hours before the bell rung to quietly search for a place to hide from the soon-to-be arriving students. As usual, the spot he had unofficially claimed in the very isolated corners of the huge library was empty and he slumped against the wall in exhaustion. He blearily glanced at his watch and decided to nap before the school started at 8 AM.

Around 7:30 he was roughly awakened by the chattering voices of students who were starting to filter in to the library. Grabbing his bag and hauling himself up he began to silently slip between the students when he realized that they were all heading towards the opposite direction. Greatly confused by the flow of students heading towards the auditorium, he followed.

The chattering in the hall increased in volume as the students slowly trickled in. Kuroko took surreptitiously took a seat all the way at the back, out of sight of prying eyes and harsh glares. The sound of a clap shook him out of his wandering thoughts and he focused on the principal standing on the podium.

The principal, a stern intimidating man with sharp eyes and an almost lean wraith-like body, started his speech with a voice that oozes warmth that belies the constantly sly glint in his eyes.

"Teikou has been a school that has prided itself on ultimate perfection and flawless achievement. All obstacles are inferior to the strife of being the best, because we are superior beings compared to the normal average citizens. This is because we have been chosen because of our family lines and because we are the perfect manifestation of this world's Supreme directive: Superiority is judged by genetic disposition and only the most influential wins"

"Therefore, I am proud to announce that the selection for the elite student council committee has been finalized." The raucous applause dies down when the principal holds up a hand.

From the corner of his eyes he saw five people walk onto the stage. The sheer diversity of the group was a bit odd and he was struck by a feeling of familiarity when he looked at the five new students of the committee that seemed to only get more pronounced the more he stared at them.

When he finally shook his gaze away from them. The principal had already dismissed the students, and he hurriedly followed the flow of students out, determined to not to be late to homeroom.

* * *

The bell for lunch rang and Kuroko was anxious to get to the safety of his hiding places. The atmosphere of the school was even more tense because of the strong speech the principal gave at the assembly this morning. He did not want to be targeted again by malicious students looking for someone 'Inferior' to them to pick on.

He did not need the presence of other students and their discrimination when he's well aware of the conditions of his enrollment. Again, he silently cursed his father for working under men whose pockets were lined with corruption and blood money, but to be honest, his family had no choice but to work for the elite 'Superiors' of the country.

His father owed a debt to the Superiors that he was still paying for now, but what Kuroko did not expect was for them to make him and his mother pay off his father's debts too. When his father demanded that he attend Teikou on orders from the elite superiors he had no choice but to comply. Day in and day out he was required to be the 'phantom observer' of the school and was required to report any acts of rebellion against the supreme directive.

However, there was nothing he could do to break free from this life yet. He was simply not strong enough as an Inferior for any freedom to be awarded to him, but those thoughts were for another day. Another day where he could actually do something about his freedom and his label of as an Inferior in society's eyes, so he waited.


	3. Chapter 3

Kuroko made sure to keep his head down when he made his way to the dining hall. Quietly but efficiently he bought a small affordable meal and left towards the back gardens for another lunch time hidden from the general population of students. Today the majority of the students seemed occupied about gossiping about the new members of the student council committee so he was glad for the small mercies that that afforded him.

He mentally sighed as he passed a group of girls talking about a rumour that was newly circulating the school. As he passed by, the rumor about the five members of the student council being soul bonded made him hesitate and he felt the irrational urge to just sit there unnoticed and listen to the group talk, but he didn't want to test his luck so he quickened his pace.

He reached the shade of a beautiful willow tree quite a distance from the main areas for milling students with plenty of time to enjoy his lunch. He sat there and nibbled slowly on his sandwiches whilst listening to the rustling of the willow branches and leaves as the wind whistled through it. He was always content among nature and he loved to bask in its comforts. It has been his silent companion since he could walk and he realized that at the very least he had this. The warmth of the food settled his starving stomach and he felt his mind growing drowsy. He drifted off feeling grateful for the salvation that nature provides.

* * *

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

The rhythmic, reverberating sound of footsteps jolted him awake instantly and his body fell naturally into a defensive stance. He squinted in the direction of the school and his eyes widened upon seeing a small gaggle of girls running towards his general hiding area. Without hesitating he headed back to the school and took extra care to be even more unnoticeable than normal. In the safe vicinity of the school back gardens, he released a sigh of relief.

Turning around he started to head to the library when he noticed a student laying on the grass hidden behind the shrubs. Slowly, Kuroko's curiously tiptoed forwards and peered down to peek.

The student's hair was like spun gold and his nose was angular and refined. His cheekbones and jaw were well-defined and there was an aura of both a lethal predator and an innocuous prey in the way he sprawled there. But what drew Kuroko's eyes was the golden wrist cover he had on signifying his Superior heritage and the student council badge on his uniform. He decided that he was attracting too much attention by staring so he slowly stepped back. When he felt eyes upon him he realized his observation did not go unnoticed and hastily backed away.

A voice, however, stopped him from running off in panic.

"It's rude to observe someone and then leave without introducing yourself first."

The blonde haired boy slowly sat up and even though his smile was bright and cheerful and his pose relaxed and approachable, his eyes gleamed with the light of a dangerous predator.

"My name is Kise Ryouta. What's yours, stranger?"

Kuroko debated the merits of telling this person his name and decided that he would because there was a nagging feeling that told him he could trust Kise.

"My name is K-kuroko Tetsuya", he softly answered in reply, but a frisson of guilt for watching Kise without his consent went through him and he mumbled a small apology.

"I'm sorry for watching you like that...I was just curious to see someone sleeping there."

Kise tilted his head and his playful smile got even wider as he replied.

"Ah. I was merely hiding from my...fans. It's an occupational hazard I'm afraid."

Even though the smile on Kise's face was playful and his tone exuding nothing but laughter and fondness. There was a barely noticeable glimpse of pain in his eyes and a slight undercurrent of derision in his voice that struck Kuroko hard.

Without his consent, his mouth had blurted out.

"You don't need to fake a smile all the time."

When his mind caught up with what he had said, he was mortified at what he had done. It had been so long since he had lost control over his speech. For him, restraining his voice was a necessity of survival. Being quiet and near to the point of mutism was the safest way to not attract any attention to yourself, and he'd broken that unwavering rule so easily.

Kuroko looked back at Kise and saw a sincere expression of surprise and a hint of curiosity in those brown eyes. A few seconds of him staring warily at Kise ended when Kise threw his head back and laughed.

The sound of unadulterated joy echoed across the space and when he was done Kise was sitting there chuckling to himself. His eyes no longer held that lingering sense of bittersweet derision and his stance was more natural.

"I have never been told off by someone I just met to not smile all the time", Kise stated with mirth and a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"You are a surprise Kuroko Tetsuya", Kise said as he strolled towards Kuroko. The poise of a predator was still there but it was tempered by a truly relaxed and natural aura.

Kuroko was still warily eyeing him, but it was filled with an underlying sense of confusion that centered mostly around the concept that his words brought comfort and joy to someone.

"I'm going to call you Kurokocchi because you're my friend now", Kise stated confidently and Kuroko could not help but glare at that statement.

At the same time, a tiny feeling of hope rose in his chest at the thought of having friends and he ducked his head. The feeling of a hand on his hair jerked him out of his nervous inner dialogue.

Before he could remove the offending limb, a prickling feeling under his wrist clasp left him frozen.

Then the prickling sensation got even stronger. He was desperate to tear off his silver wrist cover and scratch the inflamed skin underneath, but he was afraid of what he might find there. Afraid of the name that he knew would be appearing on his wrist.

"You...you're", the softly spoken statement from Kise made him even more aware of the lingering touch on his head and the gentleness of that touch.

Kuroko was about the flinch away from Kise's other hand reaching for his left wrist but the gentleness of the touch lessened his instinctive fearful reaction. His left wrist was brought forward slowly and the wrist cover was unclasped with barely a noise, and he was faced with the stark physical evidence of Kise's name written in a soft, cursive scrawl across his skin.

In a beautiful brown and golden handwritten scrawl he knew was Kise's, it read:

_Kise Ryouta_

Kuroko could do nothing but stare numbly at his wrist because he knew. He knew he was starting to find what he was so desperately looking for, and he had already found one of the pieces.

He had found one of his bond mates.


	4. Chapter 4

After standing there for who knew how long trying to process what was happening Kuroko was surprised when Kise's arms came around him in an embrace. Instinctive fear surged up at such an invasion of personal space and before his mind was aware, he was struggling to get away. The fear rose and he was about to descend into full blown panic when he felt Kise's soothing presence on the edges of his mind. He stilled slowly, and prodded the link in his mind. The new tender link of intertwining golden brown threads in his mind was overwhelming. It felt as if it was part of him and it wasn't at the same time.

Kuroko could also feel the echoes of foreign feelings that he slowly realized were Kise's emotions. The overwhelming feeling of being able to finally breathe pulsed through his mind.

The feeling of completeness and bonding of a soul link was the most beautiful thing he had ever felt and he realized the -  _awe, happiness, gratefulness, oh my god, oh my god_ \- were Kise's feelings echoing in tandem with his.

* * *

They were not aware that they had missed two periods of class already. Their minds were so occupied by the new and raw emotional connection of their links that they were completely oblivious to the passage of time.

Reluctantly they had to let go of each other when the soul bond in their minds started to settle into a less raw state.

Kuroko glanced up at Kise sitting next to him and blushed when he realized that he was leaning flushed against Kise's side and Kise had an arm looped around his waist. He tried to back away and stammer out a response when Kise looked at him and chuckled wryly,

"We might as well skip all the classes today, Kurokocchi. There's only one period left."

He picked up Kuroko's wrist cover and clipped it on again. When Kuroko noticed Kise's silence, he realized that Kise was staring at his wrist cover with a hint of lurking emotion in his eyes.

The feeling of rejection rose up in him again and he started to reprimand himself for being so gullible. How could he just believe that Kise, an amazing Superior would ever want him? A broken Inferior trapped in his own doomed existence.

Kuroko ignored that sting of rejection and resignation and softly stated, "I'm sorry...you probably don't deserve this Kise-kun."

Sharp eyes flickered up and met his, still with that hint of indiscernible emotion in his eyes.

"Don't deserve what, Kurokocchi? Don't deserve you? Don't deserve my soul bond to you?"

Turning his head away in shame, Kuroko could only mutter a hoarse sounding "Yes..."

He didn't want to turn around and see the evidence of his flaws in Kise's eyes.

"I-I am an Inferior, Kise-kun. By the laws of our society, I have no rights of my own and I will always be a second-class human. Why...w-why would you..?!"

He shook his head minutely as his voice trembled, "Why would you want to bond with someone who will only burden you? If...if anybody found out that I was bonded...to a Superior. To-to YOU! You would be...!"

He trembled when he felt a light touch on his cheek, afraid of being punished again for his heritage. Instead, the voice that answered him was not full of anger or accusation but full of aching pain.

"It doesn't matter what society thinks. You are my soul bonded and I would not abandon you to the  _filthy wolves_  of this world."

Kuroko's head snapped around in shock as he took in the fierce determination in Kise's eyes and it finally hit him then. The lingering indiscernible emotion in Kise's eyes was rage. It was not rage at him, but at the unjust laws that labelled people as either Inferior or Superior and how the world could keep turning a blind eye away from the discrimination, abuse and exploitation of people labelled as Inferiors.

It was anger for him. The predatory gaze and hatred burning in those eyes should have intimidated him but it felt surprisingly comforting for some odd reason.

"Don't worry, Kurokocchi. You're ours now. No one will separate us."

Kuroko felt tension drain out of his limbs until he registered what Kise said.

"Kise-kun...What do you mean by 'ours'?", his voice trailed off and his eyes widened.

" _Wait. You k_ now who the others are?"

Kuroko's words were a reverent whisper that brought a fond smile to Kise's face.

"Yes. Of course."

"We should go meet them as soon as possible..."

" _No._  We should go meet them  _today_  Kurokocchi!", Kise's smile and excitement was contagious, and he couldn't help but agree, because he was eager to meet them too.

Kuroko gave a tiny nod and a shy smile towards Kise as he was led towards the student council's private rooms.

* * *

Kuroko arrived at the student council's private rooms and was floored by the vast size and accommodations it had. In a corner a massive library was situated with a few couches and comfy beanbags, next to the library a hallway could be seen leading into private rooms where he could see that they were already occupied by 5 name plates. To his right led towards a massive area where he could see glimpses of a modern fully decked professional kitchen and an eyeful of the recreational room situated on the left.

It was practically one big apartment. One VERY big and expensive apartment and he realized that the private place was even bigger than his own measly home fit for three people.

He raced to catch up with Kise when he noticed that he was still standing at the entrance. And promptly ran head first into a wall.

Unceremoniously dumped on his bottom, he looked up to see what he had bumped into and was met with the sight of a towering...person.

The person bent down and crouched in front of him whilst Kuroko quickly stammered out an apology for the accident. Kuroko's apology was met with silence from the giant's stare and he was about to do something really awkward or stupid like demand an answer when the giant spoke.

"It's ok, little one. I didn't even feel it."

Kuroko's thoughts were a jumbled mess from indignant protests against the use of the word "little one" and the implication that his size was too small to hurt.

Kuroko did not know what came over him but his irritation of being addressed as 'little' grew and he all but bluntly exclaimed, "I'm not little! And my name is Kuroko Tetsuya. It isn't polite to call people small, you know?! Even if I am small I am by no means a weak person."

This fierce declaration was met with a silent stare once again until a bright and quirky smile lit up the giant's face.

It made his features transform from a neutrally blank and dull mask to something young and boyish, but in no ways innocent.

His previously dulled eyes lost their neutral vapid stare and sparkled with curiosity and muted laughter. It was then that he realized the true face of this giant.

His face was truly expressive and it was nothing but an open book. The unique accented colour of the deep violet of his hair made his face look even younger. At the same time, his body exuded nothing but tightly coiled strength and his eyes were dark deep pools of indigo shining with intelligence and insight.

The giant held out a packet as a peace offering and Kuroko tentatively reached inside. He came up with a medium sized cookie topped with vanilla chips, and promptly shoved the whole thing into his mouth.

He was about to moan in delight at the flavour of the vanilla but blushed furiously when he noted that the giant was staring at him with a small smile on his face.

"Nice to meet you, Kuro-chin. My name is Murasakibara Atsushi."

Kuroko was planning to ask more about the giant when he saw Kise heading towards them at a brisk pace. He saw Kise's posture instantly relax when his roaming eyes found them on the floor.

"Murasakicchi, you're early today", Kise stated as leaned on Murasakibara's side and ran a hand through the dark violet strands.

"Kise-chin wasn't in class after lunch today. What happened?", Murasakibara inquired with a small tilt of his head towards Kise.

Kise was fully aware that the others might have felt the phantom sensation of a bonding but he knew that this was also Atsushi's implicit way of asking him about his approach towards the current situation.

Kise smiled at his violet-haired bond mate and whispered,

"This is Kurokocchi. He will be with us from now on."

Murasakibara's face was carefully blank throughout the whole exchange but Kise could still see the delight those words evoked in his eyes.

Murasakibara slowly reached out a hand towards Kuroko to help him up.

Kuroko stared at the hand in wary confusion until it dawned on him that Murasakibara wanted to help him up. So shyly he slipped his hand in Murasakibara's large engulfing ones, and nearly toppled over again from the force of a bond link slamming into his mind. If it was not for the large arm that gently wrapped around his shoulders he would have concussed himself from his undignified fall to the ground.

The sensation of a second link forming on the same day as the first made his mind reel from the rawness of it. At the same time, he would not have traded being bonded for anything else in the world. Curling up to the giant warmth of his new bond mate, he sat there enjoying the feel of a melding of two totally different minds and hazy with the feeling of two presences in his head. They felt like beacons in his mind but they also felt reassuringly solid and constant.

Kuroko was not aware of drifting off to sleep nestled comfortably between his two bond mates. He was only aware of the hovering warm presences of Kise and Murasakibara in his mind, the fleeting gentle touches of hands on his hair and a kiss on his forehead when he fell into an exhausted sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Kuroko awakened to the sounds of muffled voices and the feel of soft, downy blankets on his skin and relaxed in contentment. His relaxed state did not last long when he realized that his room did not have soft mattresses or such gentle lingering warmth. The shock of actually being allowed to sleep on a bed pushed his mind from drowsy sleepiness to a wide awake state in less than five seconds.

He scrambled quickly off the bed, nearly spraining his ankle in his haste to get to the floor. On the familiar safety of a hard floor, he stood up and edged his way towards the bathroom, making sure to keep the door to the room constantly within his eyesight. After using the lush facilities of the bathroom he hunkered down in the corner of the room and curled on the floor next to the bed hoping to get some more sleep. He must have fallen asleep sometime in his contemplation of the odd situation he was in when he was jerked awake by the stare of a stranger on his skin.

On his hunkered position on the floor, Kuroko observed a young man slowly step into the room. In his hands he held a strange pink blob and on the other hand he held a first-aid kit.

The young man had striking green eyes with dark, deep forest green hair. His gait was a little bit stiff and he was quite tall, but not as tall as Murasakibara. His eyes were the intense under the wire rims of his sleek rectangular glasses. His gaze was serious and penetrating and his facial features gave nothing away. The sharp intelligence and wit Kuroko could see in his eyes contrasted with the odd presence of the strangely shaped pig toy he could see in his hands.

Kuroko could not help but chuckle at the strange quirky way he appeared to be and decided to hesitantly introduce himself.

"Sorry about that. You just looked so oddly quirky like that I couldn't help myself." After saying that Kuroko felt oddly nervous and he started to fidget.

"My name is Kuroko Tesuya...wh-what's your name?"

He received a short and efficient reply, "Midorima Shintaro"

After a few beats of awkward silence he glanced at the door wondering if Kise and Murasakibara were going to appear, but his musings were halted when Midorima slowly walked forwards towards him.

Glancing uncertainly at him Kuroko shuffled backwards a bit but to his surprise Midorima proceeded to kneel down near him. He was starting to suspect that the people living here were his bond mates, and were surprised again by the kindness these people constantly offered him.

Midorima sat down and offered him a barely perceptible smile but he felt a bubbling warm sensation when he saw it and ducked his head in embarrassment.

"How do you feel? Is there any pain?"

He gave a shake of his head and replied no, when in truth his body was still black and blue from his father's beatings. Before, Kise and Murasakibara could feel the echoes of his emotions he created a block in his mind that stopped any emotions related to any abuse or pain locked away in his own mind, making sure that none of his bond mates would be burdened with his reality.

Midorima gave him a small packet of pills with a cup of water to relieve his headache. After treating him, Kuroko thought that Midorima was going to leave but a question was asked instead,

"Ryouta said that you're our bond mate. I _s_  that true?"

Kuroko gave a tentative but hopeful nod of his head, and Midorima reached out a taped hand to his face with the soft murmur of, "May I touch your cheek?"

Kuroko surged forwards and grabbed the hand reaching for him and pressed it to his cheeks in comfort. The feeling of the bonding this time was so different from his first two encounters when he suddenly realized why. It was different because people were so inherently different.

Midorima's presence felt like the echo of a forest and the ebb and flow of waves on the sand. It felt like moonlight on darkened pathways and the rain on a humid summer day. It was refreshing in its unassuming nature but it holds within the wild presence of a tsunami and the stone cold ruthlessness of the earth.

A few hours passed when he became aware of his body again and not just captivated by the vastness of the pulsing bonds in his mind. He was brought to alert when he felt Midorima tense up beside him. Seconds later the door burst open revealing a pissed off and annoyed person.

A blur of dark impacted Midorima's body and a rather loud voice all but yelled out,

"Shintarou, I heard you've been in here for hours. I've just come back and no one is explaining  _what the hell's_  been happening around here. And it's about  _damn_  time I hear it from a reliable source...!" When the dark skinned man noticed that there was a new person in Midorima's arms, he abruptly stopped his irritated babbling to narrow his eyes in suspicion.

Leaning towards Kuroko with an arm slung around Midorima's shoulders, he bluntly said, "Oi! Who are you, chibisuke?"

Kuroko's head spun with the whirlwind of sudden activity the dark skinned man brought in his wake and huffed but he still replied amenably with a "Kuroko Tetsuya, nice to meet you..."

After assessing him with dark onyx eyes the man gave him a sharp smirk full of teeth and wild danger.

"Name's Aomine Daiki, but you can call me Daiki."

Aomine Daiki turned towards the captured Midorima in his clutches and proceeded to mercilessly interrogate him about the events that had been transpiring in the hours that he had been absent for.

* * *

Kuroko leaned against Midorima's side in drowsiness when the feeling of two pairs of eyes watching him registered and he looked at them questioningly. Only to be met with Midorima's fond gaze and Aomine's speculative one.

As Aomine stood up to move to his side, the light of the sun rising caught on his hair and Kuroko realized in awe that his eyes were not only onyx but his hair was also a deep obsidian-blue colour that contrasted nicely with his tan skin.

Undoing his own golden wrist cover, Aomime sat down next to him and simply said, "welcome home, Tetsu" before gently petting Kuroko's hair. The feeling of a bond link snapping into existence was overwhelming but it was tempered by the warmth that the words "home" evoked and the lingering joy he felt in his chest. He welcomed the raging storm that he knew was Aomine's presence in his mind and basked in the safety of its wild unpredictable nature.


	6. Chapter 6

Akashi Seijuro walked into their private area with simmering anger under his skin. What had all his bond mates been doing? All through the day whilst he was on his meetings he felt on-and-off echoes of bond formations through their links and it left him with faint traces of emptiness that he did not appreciate. Striding towards the common lounge area, he was met with all of his bond mates sitting in a pile on their massive couch. He was about to demand an answer from them when he spotted a compact body with a face framed with silky, sky blue hair leaning on Daiki's shoulder sleeping.

Akashi's face must have shown the utter shock at the scene in front of him, but his mind was already processing the shock and moving on to the realization that the person his four bond mates have been with is their last link.

The feelings of anger and irritation bubbling under his skin evaporated in an instant, and he was left with hope and eagerness. His bond mates must have felt the roiling mix of eagerness, excitement and muted joy inside his mind. They met his eyes and gave him smiles of confirmation and reassurance.

"Yo, Seijuuro glad to see you back from those tedious meetings", was Daiki's greeting followed by Midorima's simple and smooth greeting.

"Welcome back."

"I see that I have been missing out a lot", Akashi wryly replied.

"Aka-chin should stay around more. You could have met Kuro-chin earlier."

Akashi was surprised at the level of interest displayed on Murasakibara's face, although he should have known that the presence of their last bond mate would finally provide utter completeness and peace in everybody. Akashi was eager to meet his new bond mate but decided that leaving it for a bit wouldn't hurt, so he left to the showers with a "I'll meet him later, for now I will not disturb his rest. I'll be in the showers if you need me."

And with that Akashi turned around and headed down the hallway towards his room.

Kuroko was wide awake and sitting there watching a movie when a person with striking, flaming-red hair and crimson eyes walked towards the lounge room half-naked and dripping wet with a towel slung over his shoulders. He felt his face light up in embarrassment so fast he was sure he looked like a heated tomato. He was utterly mortified by his reaction and ducked his head to hide his flaming face hoping to save his already damaged reputation from its further demise.

Kuroko could hear the others chuckling at his mortification and and his embarrassment grew. It wasn't his fault that people were so comfortable with exposing their body like that. He had the urge to turn around and glare at the snickering traitors sitting around him, but he was not ready to face the new stranger. So he tried to act nonchalant, in hopes that the whole incident could be dismissed but Lady luck doesn't appear to favour him.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. My name is Akashi Seijuuro and I am also your bond mate."

Kuroko was so sure that his mind short-circuited when he heard the bluntness and absolute certainty in Akashi's voice.

"Um..i-it's nice to meet you too, I'm Kuroko Tetsuya."

He couldn't help fidgeting under Akashi's penetrating gaze when he introduced himself. His gaze got even sharper and Kuroko was aware that if Akashi's stare became any sharper it would cut glass. There was no malice in his eyes though, only an unwavering scrutinizing stare.

Abruptly Akashi crossed the space separating them and perched on Kuroko's right, leaning against the arm rest of the couch, his eyes were still on Kuroko but his hand was placed pliantly on top of Murasakibara's head. Murasakibara was sprawled against Akashi's thigh, snacking on a big bag of salted chips.

The air around them stilled and it seemed like every molecule of the universe was waiting for them. Kuroko was obsessively aware that Akashi was the last link and that bonding with him meant that there will be no return. The life of loneliness and isolation he had lived with for so long would disappear. His mind will be so full all the time. Full of feelings that float from the soul bonds and every sensation and touch will be amplified and echoed within the brimming confines of his mind.

He will become so aware and in sync with his bond mates that their communication would not consist of words but with a bone-deep knowledge of one another learned through the bond and through their time spent together.

And he craved that. The feeling of warmth and unconditional contentment in his mind. The feeling of learning to know someone so well that every unconscious twitch of their body is never foreign to you. The feeling of knowing someone so well that you can delve into their darkest places to drag them out and brave it with them.

He realized that he wanted that life. He wanted to live his whole life with these amazing people. To live and breath in near perfect synchronization with them. To love all the parts that they hate and to save them when they can't save themselves. To be each other's immovable constants, but at the same time be each other's evening stars and safe havens. He wanted to experience life in all its faces- both the painfully difficult and the easy -with them. He wanted the promise of a true home, a place where he's accepted for who he is. He wanted them.

So Kuroko took the first step this time. He wanted to show them that he desired this as much as they did. He held out his hand and said "Welcome home, Akashi-kun."

As soon as he finished his statement, two warm hands enveloped his.

There was nothing to stop his free fall this time. No safety net, no back up plans, no protecting his sense of self by running away.

Everything that he had hoped it would be was easily surpassed by the true impact of the experience. Nothing in the world could have prepared him for the sheer incredibleness of it. It was like finally being able to breathe in a drowning world. Everything was brighter and fuller in colour and detail and it was akin to being born into a new world.

A world where he was finally blessed with something good to keep and hold.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys :-) Thank you for reading and supporting this story. From this point onwards it will be more plotty so I hope you guys enjoy it! :-D

Kuroko walked to class feeling so euphoric that he didn't even attempt to listen to the teacher's lectures for the next two periods. He just sat there pretending to take notes and frequently staring out the window when in reality, he was thinking about their completed bond.

After such a long time waiting, he had almost given up hope, and it was nothing short of a miracle that he found them.

As soon as the bell rung, he packed his bags as fast as he could so he could make it the 'Generation of Miracles' private rooms.

He was unaware that his bond mates were so well-known until he overheard an alarming amount of students and teachers talking about them. He was also unaware that all his bond mates had high-ranking connections and were each influential in their own ways-ranging from owning multiple hospitals (Midorima), sports centers and facilities (Aomine), food franchises (Murasakibara), fashion and modelling agencies (Kise) and law firms and banks (Akashi)-until he read some newly released newspaper articles.

He had initially thought that their success was through the connections available to them by their family ties, but it wasn't. They were each prolific in their industries and professions because of their passion for it. They each singlehandedly built their own empires and rose to the top and together their staggering successes combined are nothing short of a miracle. That was the reason why they're called the 'generation of miracles' and his shock and awe of their achievements when they explained it to him yesterday amused them greatly. He also discovered that they've been together for two years already and the rumours of them being bond mates have just been recently speculated by the public.

Understanding the reason behind the obsessive focus people had on his bond mates was not hard, but what was hard to understand were the hints of fear he could see gleaming in some of their teachers' eyes.

* * *

Kuroko arrived at their place in record time and softly entered with a small bounce in his step. He made a bee line to the lounge room and sure enough they were all there.

Kise was laying on his stomach around a spread of magazines and textbooks reading intently with a pair of bright green headphones on.

Aomine was lying on the couch with his head pillowed on Midorima's thighs watching a baseball game on the TV whilst Midorima was holding a blue porcelain owl on one hand, and flicking through a thick medical tome balanced precariously on the couch arm with the other hand. Akashi was on the other end of the couch going through a rather thick dossier and Murasakibara was sitting cross-legged near Kise with a lollipop in his mouth and a tablet on his lap.

His bonding with them yesterday must have taken a lot of their time from doing important work, and he couldn't help but feel guilty about that.

... _which_  was apparently a misguided idea on his part if Aomine's glare was any indication.

Narrowing his eyes at Kuroko, Aomine commandingly waved him over. Kuroko walked over to the couch and sat in front of Aomine on the floor. Aomine gave a triumphant smirk and reached out a hand to touch his head, casually ignoring the tiny flinch he gave. The rhythmic stroking of a hand through his hair made him feel like purring and from the amused gleam in Aomine's eyes he suspected that Aomine had predicted what he was thinking. Reaching out a hand Kuroko retaliated by lightly pinching Aomine's ear.

Aomine's eyes sharpened with mischievousness and he was about to pinch Kuroko's nose when an amused voice said,

"Daiki, I think that if you disturb Shintaro from his reading with your wriggling, he might curse you with Oha-asa again. I recalled the last time that happened you were so traumatized by the frogs that kept jumping out at you from random places that you swore to eradicate all amphibians from this planet."

Aomine shuddered at the horrific memories that that evoked and hastily moved away from his human pillow. Akashi was  _evil_. He was the ultimate manifestation of evil and the constant cunning gleam in his eyes totally supported Aomine's case.

"Che...those stupid frogs were so creepy with their bulging eyes. They scare everybody not just me, Seijuro."

Akashi said nothing. He just sat there and smirked that irksome shark-like grin at Aomine.

After a while Akashi gave Kuroko a warm smile and a gentle caress on the cheek when he stood up and headed towards the kitchen area.

From the kitchen area they heard Akashi asking them,

"Do you all want to go get some lunch at the dining hall now? We have two hours left before classes start."

Akashi's question was met with enthusiastic replies from Murasakibara, Aomine and Kise, and nods of confirmation from Midorima and Kuroko.

So they left, not caring about the mess strewn about the lounge area.

* * *

When they arrived at the dining hall there wasn't a significant amount of students still getting food and it was relatively empty and peaceful since the majority usually ate at during the lunch time 'rush hour'. Normally that's when the dining hall is at its busiest and most crowded.

After each of them grabbed some food they settled on a private area on the second floor reserved for the student council members. Kuroko grabbed a container of salad and some slices of fruits and hoped that his stomach could subside on this until the next time he managed to earn some money for more food.

He scarfed down his food as innocently as he could. However, by the end of his meal his stomach still felt like it was going to drop out of his body in hunger. He hunched his shoulders slightly and turned his eyes towards the windows to dampen his gnawing yearning for some more food.

A clink on the table in front of him startled him, and Kuroko stared at the plate of spaghetti in confusion. Did they want him to sprinkle some cheese on it?

He reached towards the flavour containers to grab the cheese one when Akashi's hand grabbed his wrist. Kuroko turned to face Akashi in confusion when he was met with five pair of eyes. Five pairs of smoldering eyes. He was afraid that he had done something to offend them when Akashi gently said,

"It's for you Tetsuya. You don't need to hide from us, we're not blind."

Akashi reached out a hand and cupped Kuroko's cheek and the gesture along with the words brought the beginning sting of tears to his eyes.

"So...don't hide. Not from us because we're here and we will always stay with you."

The absolute unwavering confidence in Akashi's voice might have sounded arrogant and presumptuous to other people, but it made Kuroko yearn to believe him. To believe the promise that the words held. To finally reveal the secrets and reality of his past and his present. To be able to lessen the heaviness of his nightmares, memories and feelings.

But... he could not show them. He could not ask them to sacrifice their reputations and their lives to help him. It ripped his heart apart just thinking that he might be dooming his bond mates to the cruelty of his world. He would gladly live in pain and servitude for the rest of his life if it meant that he could protect and spare them from being forced into the same shackles he's trapped in. If it meant that he had to lie, cheat and commit the most despicable crimes just to survive and stay with them, he would gladly do so.

Kuroko closed his eyes and leaned into the warmth of Akashi's palm. He nodded his head but inside in his heart, he was mourning because he knew that he could not keep his promise.


	8. Chapter 8

Akashi was sitting with his bond mates in their house on a pleasant Saturday morning, trying to get some work done without much success. Since Tetsuya left early this morning to return to his parent's house for a while, he couldn't get rid of the ominous feeling twisting in his guts. After staring at the same document for half an hour, he gave up any semblance of work and stood up.

Akashi headed towards Shintaro's room in hopes that maybe his bond mate would indulge him in a match of shogi. On his way there, he saw Atsushi sitting on the floor of the kitchen in the front of an assortment of snacks with a frown on his face looking like the snacks had personally offended him. The sight was so strange and unprecedented that he immediately stopped in his tracks and headed towards the sulking violet-head. Akashi walked towards Atsushi and placed a concerned hand on his hair, running his fingers tenderly through the deep violet locks. Atsushi turned around still with a frown on his face, and on a closer look Akashi could see visible creases of tension in the corners of his eyes. Atsushi's face lost some strained tension when Akashi's hand stroked his hair, and after a few minutes of silent comfort Atsushi nuzzled against the loving palm.

Akashi's voice came out in a whisper, "What's wrong, Atsushi?"

Long, large arms came around his waist in a silent embrace, and a face was pressed against his stomach. Akashi waited patiently for his bond mate to reply, and his patience paid off when there was a rumbling aching reply.

"There's something wrong...Aka-chin. I can't shake off the feeling of anxiety. Is something bad going to happen?...because the feeling is making my stomach and head hurt."

Akashi hummed in an offer of comfort and hoped that nothing bad would occur. If anything happened to any of his bond mates, he would sear the world and raze everything to the ground, and he wouldn't hesitate to destroy everything in revenge. If this cruel world ever took them away from him, he would do anything to bring them back, because they were his. There was nothing he was unwilling to do for them and he knew that all of them felt the same way about him too. So he curled himself lightly around Atsushi's head and left a kiss on the crown of his head.

They stayed there in each other's arms, and were dragged from the pliant and comforting atmosphere around them when Midorima distractedly walked into the kitchen.

Akashi's bond mate had a slightly stressed look on his face, and it was probably because of strikingly obvious absence of the Tanuki statue from his hands. Midorima froze when he saw them. The eyes that were usually so calm and serious were now visibly filled with light distress, and worried them to see.

"Mido-chin...are you alright?"

Atsushi's tone was heavy with concern. Shintaro ducked his head slightly and the glare of the light obscured his eyes from their probing gazes. He replied with a curt "I'm fine. No need to worry", but the nervous fidgeting of the tape he wrapped around his fingers belied his words. Sighing in fond exasperation, Akashi waved him over with a quirked eyebrow.

There was a slight hesitation in Shintaro's step but as soon as he reached them, he melted into Akashi' s side. He wrapped an arm around Shintaro's waist and tucked his head under Shintaro's chin, and he saw Atsushi release one arm around him to envelop Shintaro in their three-way hug.

Shintaro was silent in their embrace but they knew that his agitation seemed to also originate from the same source as their uneasiness.

* * *

"Where have you been?!", a rasping angry voice asked.

As Kuroko suspected his father was standing in front of the door leading to the kitchen. His father's tense posture rung alarm bells in his head and the hard flint in his eyes was dimmed by the effects of vodka but still sharp with the promise of danger and consuming anger.

He kept his head down in the required pose of respect of his class, and hunched his shoulders slightly in a more submissive pose. Kuroko took a small breath to prepare himself for the pain he knew was going to come, steeled his mind and softly replied.

"I-I was in school, sir. The student...council asked me to help them with some things and I accidentally for-forgot the time, sir. T-There-.."

Kuroko's voice trailed off into painful silence when a hand snapped out and grabbed a fistful of his hair. He was yanked forward and the momentum of the act propelled him forwards. His head collided unforgivably on the surface of the table and brought dark spots dancing across his vision. Biting his lip to restrain the groan of agony racing from the area where his head collided with the table, he was unaware that the control over his mind was faltering and that trickles of his own pain were permeating through his bond.

He was so occupied with the raw undulated fear in the pit of his stomach and the pulsating pain overtaking his mind that he was totally unaware of the spikes of alarm that rose like tidal waves from his bond mates.

The hand on his head tightened and he felt the raw nerve endings protest, but he kept his face blank and devoid of any emotion and pain he felt. He knew that any reaction would only increase his father's rage. A voice sounded next to his ear in a growl full of unrestrained anger.

"DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO ME, Tetsuya."

From the corner of his eyes, he hazily saw his father tilting his head in a fake imitation of innocuous recognition, and with a tone dripping with scathing vitriol his father continued.

"I can see something different about you. Something more vibrant..." His father spat out.

"Is it because you have  _bonded_?  _Have_  you... _Tetsuya_?"

Alarm raced through him at his father's words and his mind was in a frenzy with panic but he kept his face tightly controlled in a practiced mask of stoic neutrality, and replied in the softest and meekest tone he could muster.

"No, sir. I-I couldn't possibly bond because it is illegal for Inferiors to bond with Superiors."

His answer was devoid of any emotional inflection. It was a reply that exuded practiced repression and defeat and the tone of a person who has been completely beaten into resignation and hopelessness. His answer must have satisfied the writhing rage in his father because the unyielding hand forcing his head against the cold, hard surface of the table relaxed its painful grip minutely.

However, the next words out of his father's mouth chilled him to the core.

"Then I guess you will have no problem reporting to the Supreme council for your next assignment. There will also be no problem if you were checked for any illegal bonds by the Human segregation division too,  _right_   _Tetsuya_?"

His father's deliberate mocking tone became even more piercing, " _Of course,_  since you're  _not bonded_  and all that, there will no problems right? It would be like a normal check-up."

The hand gripping his hair suddenly disappeared and before he could answer in false confirmation, a harsh grip on his arm derailed his plan. Without warning, he was hauled from his bent position on the table and thrown towards the opposite side of the room. Kuroko could feel his wrist crack as he turned his body to brace against the wall and the disorientation from his throbbing head made it worse. He ended up being unable to coordinate his body at all and his shoulder and head slammed against the wall so hard he felt something burning and unforgiving dislodged inside his shoulder. His head felt like it had been cracked open and the feeling of nauseousness doubled. He curled slightly against the wall in agony whilst supporting his likely-to-be broken wrist, dislocated shoulder and throbbing head.

His father stood a few meters in front of him with a hard glint in his eyes. Kuroko glanced at the golden wrist cover on his father's wrist and knew that it was not because of mercy that his father refrained from ripping off his silver wrist cover to check for himself, but it was because he wanted Kuroko to suffer even more. He wanted his son to be at the mercy of people who would happily use methods of torture to inflict pain on people they think deserve punishment.

Kuroko knew that the debt his father owed the Supreme council was because his mother, an Inferior, accidentally forced a permanent bond between them without his permission. Kuroko was aware that the Supreme council intervened in his sentence of the illegal bonding between a Superior and Inferior, and offered his father to work for them instead. His father took their offer but he never forgave his mother for that and hated Kuroko's very existence because it represented the life and the privileges that he had unfairly lost.

Kuroko knew that his father was repulsed by the idea that he had fathered an Inferior being. On the other hand, his existence brought a small amount of light to his mother's life, at the same time his presence was also the physical evidence of her failure and her mistakes.

He knew that between his parents, his mother was the only one he could truly say cared for him to some degree, and also knew that his mother found comfort in his presence but she also found repulsion and misery in it too. Looking up at his father he knew that his parents have never truly acknowledged him, they just tolerated his presence because he was useful to them. After living his usefulness, he knew that there was nothing stopping them from either neglecting him or abandoning him. But he kept those thoughts to himself and watched his father in mute silence, and after giving him one last look of utter disgust and contempt his father left the room.

Kuroko sat there for several long minutes in the loud silence of the kitchen before gingerly standing up. He headed out towards the front door lugging his school bag clumsily behind him and limped towards the park nearby. Hopefully, he could stay at his small hiding space there for a while before he needed to return.


	9. Chapter 9

Kise gasped and would have dropped to his knees if it wasn't for Aomine's arms clutching him to a broad chest.

They were in the rec room blowing off some steam because they have been unable to stop feeling the crawling agitation on their skin nearly the whole day, when an ear-splitting cry unlike anything they have ever heard resonated along their bond. It was like having knives driven into your head. Kise could feel the bond buck like a wild animal in pain and fury at the sensation and he clutched his head, his mind painfully rattled by such intensity.

In the corner of his peripheral vision, he saw Aomine cradling his head with one hand, whilst the other one was clutching Kise's waist almost to the point of pain. Kise wasn't aware how long the bond vibrated with shrieking agony but he was trembling when it decreased to an aching hum.

He turned to Aomine and was not surprised to see that he was in as bad of a shape as Kise. When they realized where it originated from they raced towards the door, and met up halfway with Akashi, Midorima and Murasakibara. Without further ado, they turned as one to hurriedly grab phones, cash and first aid kits as they ran towards the garage.

* * *

Kuroko was seated on a forgotten, dilapidated bench behind a plethora of growing trees, concealed from view by their thick bundles of leaves. His thin sports jacket provided him with little protection against the freezing chill of the rain, but he could not bring himself to leave his safe spot. He knew that sooner or later he had to find some medical supplies or go get his injuries checked at the nearest clinic, but a spreading numbness has already started to fester along his skin until all he could feel was the buzzing haze in his mind. The creeping coldness of the wind and the rain coming down in heaves left him feeling soaked to his bones.

Kuroko was only aware of the bleak all-encompassing sense of numbness until little, static-like presences filtered through his apathy. The glowing spots of warmth in his mind grew strong and violently vibrated with the feelings of worry and anxiety, a few seconds later a shrill ringing tone cut through the pitter patter of the rain. Muddy with confusion, it took him a while to realize that the noise was emanating from within the depths of his bag. With shaking fingers, Kuroko reached into his bag and fished his phone out. On the flashing screen of his phone, an alarming list of missed calls appeared and when his phone started to ring again, he almost dropped it in his haste to answer it.

There was a dangerous low tone of fury in Akashi's voice filtering through the speakers.

"Tetsuya,  _are you alright_?"

There were hissed voices in the background, and he could hear multiple voices clamouring over each other in distress and haste. The sound of their voices ran through him and he almost sobbed with a bone-deep sense of relief, and within seconds it ignited feeling back into his cold limbs leaving him shivering from the chill of the rain. Kuroko could feel his teeth chatter but he managed to force out a reply through clenched teeth.

"A-Akashi-san, I-I don't t-think I am..."

Instantaneously the voices in the background grew in volume, nearly deafening him with its viciousness. He was waiting for a reply from Akashi but the voice that answered him instead was Kise's warm energetic tones.

"Kurokocchi, where are you now?", Before he could give a reply to the frantic question, Kise had already commanded him to " _Stay right_  where you are. We're coming to get you now."

With that the call abruptly ended.

Blinking slightly in bewilderment at the suddenness of the call's ending, he slipped his slightly wet phone back into his bag. Soon, Kuroko's body was starting to list to one side in fatigue and the dark spots dancing across his vision made him conscious about the fact that his body was going to pass out any second now. However, he held on to consciousness with all of his might and waited. Waited for them to come get him.

* * *

Aomine didn't know how long he had been running for, but his chest felt as though it was going to cave in when he didn't seem to be getting any closer to Kuroko' s location. He felt the beginning stirrings of a full-blown panic attack in his chest, and Aomine knew that was the worst thing he could allow himself to do right now.

"TETSU!"

Nothing but the smallest hint of life.

He was at the end of his rope as he rounded the next corner in the confusing maze, but thankfully he found  _him_.

As he rounded the corner felt as though everything was crashing down around him. What he saw when he blindly ran into the scene would forever be seared into his memory. On the bench, curled up feebly was Tetsuya.

For a second, his heart skipped a beat. For a second, everything in his world froze.

Tetsuya's skin was deathly pale and his chest rose with slow, uneven breaths, he had his arm cradled to his chest and even from this distance Aomine could see the unnatural angle of his shoulder. He looked so small, so breakable and  _so damn hurt_  that Aomine felt steel cold rage coursing through him like wildfire. He had never felt such rage before, such sheer fury, as if his control is held on by a silk-thin thread. His teeth clenches shut and he feels an unfamiliar need to  _kill something_ \- he has never felt the desire to kill anyone or anything before,  _not_  in this manner. There is a crushing pressure against his heaving chest and it feels like he is drowning in anger, unable to even take a breath.

Aomine was so angry that he didn't even notice that his bond mates had caught up with him until he heard Kise's choking gasps and the low growl that Murasakibara let out. At their approach, Kuroko stirred and his  _blue, blue oh so very beautiful rich blue_  eyes met their eyes briefly before it fluttered shut.

The recognition they saw in his eyes pushed them out of their horror and anger and they rushed to his side. Kneeling down in front of Kuroko, Midorima's eyes were hard flints of sharp icy anger. Slowly and with an agonizingly gentle touches, he started to check and gently prod Kuroko's injuries. They waited in tense silence with bodies coiled with wild, manic energy as Midorima bound as many injuries as he possibly could.

Without needing any verbal communication, Murasakibara bent down and scooped up Kuroko. The care and tenderness he treated Kuroko contrasted with the looming size of his body, and the way that he lovingly gazed at Kuroko made their hearts constrict in empathy. They all understood because they felt the same.

With Kuroko cradled in Murasakibara's engulfing arms, Kise and Aomine gathered Kuroko's bags and the first aid kits and left.

* * *

Midorima worked feverishly throughout the night bandaging, disinfecting the injuries and making sure that Kuroko was hydrated before crashing into Aomine and Kise's arms in exhaustion. They soothed Midorima and told him that he had done well and they had just managed to convince him to go to sleep 5 hours ago.

Every hour passed in hellish similarity. Kise gulped again when he felt sobs clog his throat at the memory of having to hold Kuroko down whilst they set his dislocated shoulder back.  _God...Kuroko's screams_  were awful. He couldn't stop replaying the way Kuroko begged them to stop hurting him whilst in the throughs of delirious fever. He was so relieved that around 2 hours ago Kuroko blacked out from the pain because Kise wasn't sure how much more he could take listening to his bond mate suffer.

Akashi's whisper was loud in the silence of the room, but everybody perked up at the vicious anger they could hear in his voice.

" _This has to stop._  I  _will_  stop this once and for all. I will  _destroy_  them all...the Supreme council... _everything_."

" _I refuse_  to let Tetsuya live in a world that makes him  _suffer_  like this!" The uncharacteristic loss of control in Akashi's voice touched them all deeply, and when they met Akashi's eyes their eyes held the same simmering fury and steel protectiveness.

Their bond was like a living breathing creature in their minds, and it was pulsing with the united sense of fierce determination. They were one in their vow to liberate what belongs to  _them_  from the clutches of the world.

" _No, damn_  it!  _We_  will not let them take what's ours.  _We_  will protect  _our_  own!", Aomine's fierce growl corrected, and the bond quaked with roaring satisfaction at the words  _"we"_.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this chapter ;-)
> 
> Reviews are loved, hearted and deeply appreciated. (hands everybody free hugs and cookies!)

Kuroko's consciousness came back in fragile pieces and his mind felt heavy with sluggy confusion. When the haze around his mind cleared a little, he was aware of the ripping pain lighting his nerves on fire.

Kuroko tried breathing slowly, evenly, but that didn't lessen the pain in every twitch and movement of his body. His eyes were a little blurry and he blinked until the spots in front of his eyes faded.

The barely perceptible weight on him shifted and he glanced down. Kuroko saw a head laying near his arm, warm fingers wrapped around his hand.

_Midorima_

He'd recognize that mop of dark forest green hair anywhere. A barrage of elation and relief flooded him and his breath hitched with grateful unshed sobs.

Kuroko tried to lift the hand that Midorima didn't have clutched against his cheek but a flare of hot scalding pain made Kuroko drop his hand. From the dark circles under his eyes, the tired, sick palour of his skin and his bond mate's haggard appearance, it must have been a while since Kuroko was injured.

Lovingly with the hand in Midorima's clutches, he lightly ran his fingers over the pale cheek. To outsiders Midorima always seems so impossibly cold and distant but Kuroko knew that his bond mate had a truly soft heart. Midorima was a gentle and compassionate soul and sometimes he just doesn't understand how to express his affections. Kuroko knew that Midorima was the most level headed but during moments like this, Kuroko is reminded of Midorima's more open and affectionate side, and he felt a wave of gratitude. Gratitude because he (and all his other bond mates) knew that this is Midorima showing them his most vulnerable side, a side that he has entrusted them with.

Kuroko kept his touches light but after a while Midorima still stirred, his eyelids fluttered and then opened. A few seconds passed before Midorima seemed to understand where he was and what happened, and then he shifted his gaze to Kuroko's face. His emerald eyes widened slightly at the edges after noticing Kuroko's awake state. He had been keeping constant vigil on Kuroko for two days and the weight on his chest shattered when he was faced with those clear blue eyes. He lurched forwards and gathered Kuroko in a painfully careful and tender embrace. Silent, Midorima buried his face in the crook of Kuroko's neck and held on. Ignoring the burning, aching pain that laced his body, Kuroko weakly rested a warm palm against the nape of Midorima's neck and stroked the strands there.

"Shhh...it's alright, Midorima." Kuroko's voice came out in a quiet raspy whisper.

Kuroko felt the arms around him tighten imperceptibly and a heart breaking whisper answered his mumbling.

"God...thank god."

Warm, chapped lips turned and pressed a kiss on Kuroko's cheek and he melted even further into Midorima' arms.

* * *

After Kuroko woke up from his long two day sleep, all his bond mates' protective instincts and tendencies have developed to outrageous lengths.

He was not able to go to the bathroom without someone trying to wait for him outside the door 'just in case he slipped'. He could not even try to get up for a walk without Murasakibara appearing out of nowhere and whisking him off his feet. Kuroko even tried to sneak out of his room a few times to grab some food at night and was scared out of his wits when he was suddenly confronted with Akashi's eyes in front of the kitchen doorway. When he was about to go crazy from the seeping boredom Kise would appear with blinding smiles, warm hugs and arms laden with music, books, movies and video games for Kuroko to entertain himself with. Aomine would come and go at random intervals but was always seen lurking around with alarming frequency; he would also sit there with Kuroko at night surfing sports channels whilst keeping up a very one-sided explicit conversation with himself. Then sometimes when Kuroko could not lift his spoon to eat properly without twinges of aching pain travelling from his broken wrist and dislocated shoulder, Midorima would walk in, reapply his bandages and relieve his pain. Kuroko pinched his nose again when he saw that the weird assorted pile of knick knacks gathered at the table next to his bed had increased in numbers. Midorima had a knack for leaving him strange Oha-asa good luck gifts when he came to check on Kuroko.

He swear he was going to kill something the next time his bond mates looked like they were going to entertain any protective ideas. Honestly, his bond mates' over-protectiveness was comforting to feel but at the same time it wears him down.

He was going to attempt another rebellious sneaky escape to the mini-library when a disapproving voice said,

"Tetsuya, don't even think about it."

Kuroko deflated and slumped on the bed in a sulk. Kise chuckled and ruffled his hair, "Akashicchi, don't be too hard on Kurokocchi."

Moments later Akashi gave a fond, exasperated sigh and acquiesced, "Fine, we will go to the park today for a little while."

However, Akashi's next words did not carry the same fond tone, instead it was edged with a hard brittleness. "Tetsuya...we only know so much about your life. Let us in. We can't help you if you don't tell us much."

Kuroko looked down at the nervous twisting of his fingers and exhaled. The suddenness of the request thrown him completely off-balance, but it was not the question that rocked him to the core. It was the way that Kise's back straightened and his eyes clouded with a combination of remembered suffering and rage. It was the slight hint of desperation in Akashi's casual but gentle tones. It was the slightly sick look that overcame Murasakibara's face. It was the white knuckled fists Aomine had pressed against his knees and Midorima's agitated touches on the frames of his glasses.

Their sense of combined aching pain made him want to curl up and soothe it all away. Unbidden, the thought of any of them suffering like he did surfaced and Kuroko flinched violently at the tearing pain that the thought brought to his heart. If they were hurt...Kuroko would want to know desperately to protect them and to avenge them.

He let out a silent, shaky breath, kept his eyes glued on his nervous hands and started talking.

"My father was enraged when I got back." Kuroko's voice trailed off in neutral tones. If he allowed himself to feel any emotions he would break down, and he could not afford to break down yet.

"H-He...was drunk and he grabbed me and slammed me against the table. For some reason, he suspected. My father suspected that I-I...", Kuroko's voice thickened minisculely with tears.

"That...I was bonded. He ordered me to go to see the Supreme council to check my bonding status." Kuroko could not stop the small hitch in his breath when he talked about the supreme council. An arm snaked around his shoulders and pulled him against a warm side.

Aomine's gruff voice drifted down where his chin was comfortably resting on Kuroko's head. "Tetsu...what division are you supposed to go to?"

Kuroko closed his eyes at the pain he knew would befall him soon, and tucked his head under Aomine's chin in an attempt to lessen the rigid angry tension in Aomine's limbs.

"The Human segregation division."

At his words, he felt the bond tremble and he looked up and saw the alarmed faces of his mates.

Kise had already started to pace around in agitation, but Kuroko noticed that there was not even a hint of cheerfulness or expressiveness in his stance. There was nothing but the coiled wild danger of a predator. When he looked around Kuroko noticed that Kise was not the only one...all his bond mates had similar auras of danger and razor sharp determination around their restless bodies.

There was a long silence where everybody tried to absorb the magnitude of what Kuroko said before they all stood up at once.

"Ryouta, can your sources gather more information about that division?"

Kise's chestnut eyes flashed with the glimmer of a hunting predator on the scent of a prey.

"Of course Akashicchi...Actually I can do better. In five hours I will have information about all the members and their connections for you."

"Good." There was a proud and triumphant look in Akashi's eyes.

"Shintaro-"

Midorima answered before Akashi could get a word in edgewise.

"I will send out my non-profit helpers to gather support from underground rebellion communities."

"Oh and don't forget to use my name together with yours. With both our powers we can grant them better immunity against any repercussions."

Midorima silently nodded before leaving.

"Daiki and Atsushi, both of you will approach the Supreme council with me to tell them that the Generation of miracles are not willing to do business with them any more until further notice."

The repercussions of that very dangerous action is widespread but they were ready to put a stop to the corruption of this unfair society.

"Be very careful Daiki, Atsushi. Wait for me near the government building, I need to arrange some things first."

Akashi turned around and addressed Kise, "Ryouta, text Shintaro and tell him that afterwards everyone will be at Momoi Satsuki's house. Go there with Tetsuya now and ask Satsuki to help you gather intel."

As they left Kuroko couldn't help racing towards them for a bruising hug. Murasakibara anticipated his collision so he was lifted up in a big bear hug. Dangling from Murasakibara's arms Kuroko shyly leaned forwards and gave his cheek a peck.

"I love you Kuro-chin. So you have to stay safe." After cupping a large palm against Kuroko's cheek and giving it a nuzzle, he put Kuroko back on the ground and lumbered over to crush Kise in a similar bear hug.

Still reeling from that unexpected confession, Kuroko was promptly enveloped by two pairs of arms. Akashi rested their foreheads together, their breaths mingling in the space left between them, then suddenly Kuroko's lips were crushed against Akashi's plush ones. His squeak of surprise turned into a mewling moan when he felt Akashi's tongue caress his unabashedly and before he knew it Kuroko was left dazed with a small nip on his lips. A hand on his face made him turn around, and his lips was taken again with fierceness and unrestrained wildness. Kuroko was breathless and blushing a vivid red when Aomine's lips left his and he was heatedly stared at with dark obsidian-blue eyes.

"See ya soon Tetsu. We also love you damn much so don't get into any more trouble ok?"

He nodded automatically and when he was released from the two pair of arms his knees were wobbling from their bold kisses. But before they left, he managed to find his voice and in a bashful whisper said,

"I love you too. I l-love...everyone of you..."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody, I'm back with another chapter... :-) Sorry guys but Aida Riko...will be different here but but there is a good reason why Riko is like this. She won't always be bad...(spoiler alert). She will change sides later :-P I couldn't resist mixing roles for the characters... Anywho! ENJOY (hugs and I love you guys too).
> 
> P.S. reviews are appreciated (woof woof - Nigou) ;-)

"Midorimacchi, we will be meeting up at Momoicchi's house afterwards."

"I understand. Thank you for informing me, Ryouta," There was a pause of thoughtful silence.

"Do you think that Seijuro would agree if the Midorima Health Organisation also publicly invested more money into providing more medical privileges for people in the inferior class?"

"Hmm...I think that is a good move, but Midorimacchi should be careful of getting negative feedback from the superiors...god I hate those labels..." Kise mumbled in disgust.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Midorima wearily replied, "I hate them too, Ryouta. It's just an excuse for society to legally discriminate against normal humans who deserve the same human rights."

"It's ok Midorimacchi. We will bring it all down." Kise's optimism bled through his voice and it made Midorima's chest constrict in fond exasperation.

Chuckling Midorima replied to Kise, "Of course. Thank you for that Ryouta. Stay safe, I'll be back"

Kise chuckled at Midorima's soft, embarrassed answers. Midorima was too cute sometimes. "We will! You don't need to do everything by yourself Midorimacchi. If you need any help just call. Be careful and love you!"

With that the phone hung up with a resounding 'beep'. Motionless Midorima sat there staring at the phone in his hands. How come his bond mates always seem to be able to shock him with these loving gestures all the time?

A knock on the door brought him out of his musings and his friend came blundering in.

Takao Kazunari, a student of medium stature and dark raven hair became his right hand man and the second most powerful person in the Midorima Health Organisation when Midorima found him vehemently protesting against the labels and treatment of inferiors in front of the Midorima Organisation Headquarters.

Takao gave him a double-take and a smirk. "That blush looks good on you, Shin-chan."

Midorima gave his friend a glare that said don't-you-dare-say-anything-else, and asked

"How are the arrangements going in the Shutoku division?"

Takao plopped down on a seat next to him and started spreading the files he brought on the desk. Takao picked up a sheet and passed it on to him.

"Good. Miyaji, Kimura and Otsubo were eager to oversee the operation and they have their best out now giving the offer to our homeless networks to spread."

"Sounds like you have that sorted out well." Midorima gave his friend a smile.

Takao gave his boss and friend a thumbs up in confirmation and a beaming smile.

"So...Shin-chan is there anything else you need? I was a bit surprised at you offering rebellion groups support. The organisation has always supported inferiors with frequent but discrete projects so this was a bit different. Are you trying to express your political stance?"

"Yes and no. This has a bigger purpose." Midorima replied vaguely. He could not give Takao a straight reply because even his mind could not fully predict Akashi's moves. Takao nodded his head in understanding, he knew that there were some things his friend could not express.

Midorima looked over the statistics for the Midorima Health Organisation (MHO) and was glad to see that they have exceeded expectations and are also currently the leading medical and health organisation in the world. Looking up at his review of the documents, Midorima told Takao.

"From tomorrow onward, the Midorima Organisation will stop any partnerships with the government. We will be focusing on projects and investment with alternative groups and communities." After an awkward moment of silence Midorima looked up to find out why Takao did not reply and was met with a pale shocked face.

"Takao...? What's wrong?" Midorima inquired in concern.

" _S-Shin-chan._..are you alright?  _God._..are you feeling ok?"

Takao was looking at him with a mix of horror, anxiety and fear. It was a look one might expect as an alien or as a shape-changing monster but not what you might expect as an average human.

"Yes, of course."

"B-but doing that is insane! It's never been done before. That-that's a direct public display of disobedience towards the Supreme council!"

Takao was on his feet running an agitated hand across his hair. "It's not that I don't support you, Shin-chan! It's just a very dangerous move!"

"I know, but the repercussions will not be that bad for Midorima Organisation as a whole. We will not suffer much because of our monopoly of the international medical industry. We are the leading and most prominent medical organisation in the world, there will be no shortage of investors or customers willing to use our services and products. We will definitely not run out of people willing to do business with us."

Takao's grip on Midorima's shoulder tightened and it halted Midorima's rant half-way.

" _No_  Shin-chan! It's not the organisation I am worried about, it's  _you!_ The opposition and pressure from the Supreme council will be heavy and ruthless. They won't let you do that without retaliating in some way and they will choose you specifically as their target!"

There was fear in his friend's eyes and he gave the gripping hand on his shoulder a reassuring pat.

"Yes...I know."

A pause in Midorima's words emphasized the depth of his awareness of the severity of those actions, " _I know._..but it can't be helped. I  _have_  to do this."

A long moment of silence stretched between them and Takao gave him a resigned sigh.

"I will take care of any protests from the board of directors and deal with any superiors who have any complaints against you in the organisation."

Takao gave his friend an earnest and pleading look. "I will always support you but...I don't understand _why...why_  are you doing this? Are the rumors true? Is it something to do with your bond mates?"

Midorima looked down at his hands and was unsure about how much he could reveal before he endangered his mates, when Takao's next words convinced him.

"Shin-chan...at least as my best friend tell me a little bit. It doesn't have to be much but...just tell me something..."

Midorima sighed and then told him the truth, "Yes...my bond mates are the members of the Generation of Miracles; Murasakibara, Akashi, Kise and Aomine... _but_  it's not only them."

He looked outside the window to gaze at the setting sun, "Our last bond mate is Kuroko Tetsuya. He's an inferior." His voice trailed of slowly in brittle pain.

"The Generation of Miracles have decided to step into the political world to stop our bond mate from suffering all the time. To stop him from being treated daily as a creature lower than human...we could not bear it anymore so we have decided to take our stance and challenge the Supreme council."

When Midorima looked at his friend he saw sympathy and pity in those eyes. Takao fell onto the chair next to Midorima in a heap of aching weariness and expelled a heavy sigh. Then Takao gave him a half-hearted glare but his eyes were soft and warm with understanding and reflected anguish.

"God...I can't shout at you anymore, Shin-chan. What you're doing is so damn justified...if I were you...I wouldn't hesitate to destroy everything in my path to help my bond mate."

"Sheesh...you don't do anything half-assed, do you Shin-chan." Takao slung an arm around Midorima's shoulder in camaraderie and casually asked, "So...it's not just you doing this too huh?"

Midorima shook his head in reply. "Yeah...thought so. All the Generation of Miracles are doing that too? Wow...the Supreme council is so screwed this time."

Takao's smile was sharp with sarcastic triumphant and Midorima knew that whatever he decided to do from now on, Takao and his team will have his back and support him fully.

* * *

"Yes. Withdraw the Akashi Corporation's support from all government joint projects. There will be no further action until I say so. I will be busy so the decisions will be made by my head management team, Rakuzen. Mibuchi Leo will be acting as CEO temporarily until I am finished with my personal affairs."

Without any fanfare or goodbyes, Akashi hung up on the board of directors and all the division heads and turned around to face his waiting bond mates.

"Daiki, have you sorted out what the Aomine Company's actions will be yet?"

"Yeah. The Aomine sports Company withdraws its support from any funding of national sports events such as the World cup and will be diversifying its target market to include inferiors. We will be buy other International sports events to persuade anybody who wants to advertise or participate to give inferiors more equality by making it an event where both inferiors and superiors are able to participate in competitive sports."

"That sounds great." Akashi gave Daiki a smirk (which Aomine took as a beaming smile so Aomine nodded in pleased happiness).

Murasakibara couldn't help but worry for his bond mates' companies...

"Will your company be alright Ao-chin? You won't lose too much business right?"

Before Aomine could reply to Murasakibara's worried questions, Akashi reassuringly answered.

"No. None of our companies will suffer from this action. Our monopoly of our own industries are too great to be surpassed. Each of us have international empires that are extremely prominent with a diversification of popular household brands."

Murasakibara pondered Akashi's words for a while and realized that the food brands and franchises in Murasaki Foods Inc. are so mainstream, popular and internationally dominating that it's hard for his company to suffer a big loss. Murasakibara popped another candy in his mouth and realized that it was similar for the Aomine Sports Co., Akashi Banking & Law Corp., Kise Fashion Inc., and Midorima Health Org.

"Hmm...ok. I understand Aka-chin."

Akashi gave Murasakibara a fond nod and asked if he handled his company's reactions yet, to which Murasakibara replied with a "I told Muro-chin the plan to stop helping with government projects and he agreed to sort out the details for me."

Akashi gave them a final smile and an enveloping mental hug before turning on his heel and walking towards the front door of the International HQ where members of the Supreme Coucil reside at.

* * *

Akashi prepared himself for the manifestation of multiple headaches today as they were led down a long spacious hallway. They were let into a lush, ornate room filled from top to bottom with velvet material and intricately carved furniture.

Akashi sat down in the middle chair on on one side of the long oak table. He was promptly flanked on both sides by Aomine and Murasakibara and waited. After a few short mintues, the door opened to admit a small petite girl in a black mid-thigh skirt, white blouse, a short hip-length black military coat, a beret and black knee-high boots.

Aida Riko was a girl with shoulder length light brown hair and hazel eyes, who could be frequently seen in mock-arguments with other division heads. Most people would describe her as a feisty spirit whose heart is pure in defense of justice, but to Akashi, she seemed a bit too naive- because of the way her father spoiled her- in her defense of justice.

Aida Riko inclined her head in a normal polite Superior greeting and sat down on the opposite side of the table facing them.

"My name is Aida Riko and I am the head of the public relations division in the Supreme council." Aida Riko's steady voice reflected her confident and unwavering bearing.

"My name is Akashi Seijuro." Akashi said and waited until Daiki said in a deep succinct tone, "Yo. My name is Aomine Daiki", followed smoothly by Atsushi's introduction of, "Hello, I am Murasakibara Atsushi."

Their names must have thrown her off-balance because for a tiny moment Akashi saw a flicker of unease cross her face before it disappeared behind a cool, professional mask.

"What are three prominent international power figures doing at the International HQ?"

Akashi's voice rang out clear in the tense atmosphere. "We wanted to discuss our future plans and our participation in government projects."

"Of course, we are always eager to hear from our most influential partners. Are you speaking for all the Generation of Miracles or only for yourselves?" Aida Riko's voice was sweet with false ignorance when it was common knowledge among everyone that if one member spoke, they usually spoke for the all of the Generation of Miracles.

"We are speaking for all of the Generation of Miracles."

Aida Riko leaned back on her chair casually but they could still see the sharp flicker or wariness and caution in her eyes.

Akashi steeled himself and he felt his bond mates tense beside him in preparation.

"From now on, we would like to cease supporting and participating in any government projects."

There was a long tense moment of silence where both sides stared each other down from across the table but it was broken by Aida Riko's wild predatory smile and threatening voice, "I...urge the Generation of Miracles to reconsider their stance. We understand and are willing to look the other way if your declaration was made because you did not fully understand the implications of your actions."

" _However_...if this is a deliberate strike on your part. The Supreme council  _will be most...displeased."_

Through the bond Akashi could feel Daiki's defensive anger at the implied threat. Akashi discretely placed a restraining hand on Daiki's trembling fists, from the corner of his eye Akashi could see Atsushi lay a similar calming hand on Daiki's back.

"Rest assured, Riko. We fully understand our actions and are prepared to 'deliberately' take it."

"I see." There was nothing but frosty anger in her voice.

The door opened with a soft snick and a tall lanky man entered flanked with a dozen armed bodyguards and personnel.

Aida Riko stood up when the man entered the room and gave a sharp military salute.

"You were late to the Council meeting today Riko so I was sent to check on you." Seto Kentaro stated pleasantly, however his dark eyes were on Akashi, Daiki and Atsushi the moment he entered the room.

"Seto Kentaro-sama, I deeply apologize for missing the council meeting but...some unexpected things have just happened and they required my immediate attention." Aida Riko's polite reply was cool but Akashi could hear a hint of trembling anxiety in her tone.

"Unexpected occurrences...hmm?  _I see._ "

"This is Akashi Seijuro, Aomine Daiki and Murasakibara Atsushi. They have come today to report that the Generation of Miracles have ceased supporting us until further notice."

Seto Kentaro's eyes narrowed in sadistic rage and Akashi felt Atsushi tense beside him in protective readiness. The aura emitting from him was like a writhing, stalking demon. His sharp eyes were intensely penetrating and shone with a cruel light. Akashi immediately knew that this man was part of the sadistic, tyrannical Kirasaki Daichi group and Head of the Human Segregation Division. Akashi had to tread carefully because in those eyes alongside cruelty there was the palpable force of cunning intelligence.

Akashi did not want to linger in the presence of this man any more than necessary...j _ust in case_. So as one they stood up and they each gave a respectful nod and turned towards the door to leave.

However, Seto Kentaro's low, dangerous-edged voice stopped them in their tracks.

"So this is the famous Generation of Miracles. I have always thought that your successes and international dominance are the perfect examples of Superior qualities."

"But I never expected such outstanding Superiors to abandon their own kin for a hopeless misleading ideal..." Seto Kentaro's voice was brimming with mocking, patronizing pity.

" _Amateurs_  should beware of getting devoured in a game they have no experience at, or they will find that one day all their pr _ecious, precious mates_...taken from them by a cruel spider."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! Thank you for your amazing reviews in the previous chapter. You made my heart flutter in happiness. I was so happy that it was so well-received :-D
> 
> I hope...this chapter is ok though...and I don't bore you. My writing contains a lot of slow build and burn so...yikes...bear with me guys ;-)
> 
> PS did you notice more characters getting added into the plot? (Wink wink*)
> 
> See you later guys :-)

Akashi felt the bond tremble with snarling rage at the explicit threat, and sending a soothing wave of calm was the only thing he could do to restrain the animalistic anger in Daiki and Atsushi's frames without tipping his hand.

Akashi turned around and kept his body in a relaxed and casual stance. "Kentaro, you must be mistaken. To imply that I have bond mates without hard core proof is...irresponsible on your part isn't it?"

He gave a lazy smirk and said, "Of course, the last time I checked having a bond mate was not illegal."

Akashi saw Seto Kentaro's eyes flash in hatred at Akashi's disrespectful address towards him, but it was quickly masked by the sly twist of his lips.

"Of course  _Akashi-kun_ , but I believe that being bonded to...an inferior is illegal. We do have standards to uphold and tarnishing our very existence..." at this Seto Kentaro's eyes held palpable disgust and hatred.

"With s _uch dirty useless creatures_  is wrong in every single way."

The red haze that flashed across the bond was so strong that Akashi nearly burst with furious rage and protectiveness, but he grabbed control of the wild snarling bond that demanded he  _hurt them all, maim them_  for the humiliating degradation of their mate and forced it down to a bubbling ball of cold, hard fury.

The voice that came out from Akashi's mouth held the words that pulsed united along their bond.

"The most  _despicable_  creatures are the ones who are the most empty and pitiful. The ones who have nothing because they  _destroy everything._ "

Seto Kentaro narrowed his eyes at the implicit insult. "Interesting observation." The mocking drawl was followed by soft thuds of polished, black military boots on marble floors. With calm, deliberate steps Seto Kentaro crossed the space separating them. Akashi knew that Daiki and Atsushi would not hesitate to act if there was any indication at all that they were going to attack, so he purposefully relaxed his body even more. He knew that his bond mates would not be able to keep their calm and control their reactions so well, so he took it upon himself to do it in their stead. Being raised from young in politically harsh situations made him more aware of all the possible ways to manipulate a situation and this environment is as natural to him as breathing.

 _Let the games begin_ , Akashi viciously thought.

"Yes. But I believe it's more...applicable to  _some_  than the rest." Akashi's neutrally polite tone was undermined by the mocking glare in his crimson eyes.

Before anyone could blink Seto Kentaro's right hand had snapped out and with lightening fast reflexes gripped Akashi's arm in a bruising hold. Akashi let out a imperceptible grimace at the fingers digging indiscriminately into his arm but he kept his body still in stoic neutrality. His face betrayed nothing, not even a hint of anxiety, only unwavering boredom.

That lightening fast action left everybody reeling and it took everyone in the room a few seconds to comprehend what had happened before all its occupants burst into a flurry of action. Aomine and Murasakibara's faces contorted with shock which turned into rage a millisecond later when they realized what had happened. Aomine barged in front of Akashi and into Seto Kentaro's face and Aomine's left hand gripped the hand that had Akashi's arm in a tight hold, whilst his right hand curled threateningly around Seto Kentaro's neck. Murasakibara had an arm around Akashi's waist, his looming hunched body curling protectively around their smaller mate with his sweeping arm splayed in front of him in warning. The look in both their eyes could have killed and the guards hesitated when they saw their predatory protective stances and the hungry razor-sharp glints in both their eyes.

Aomine's gravelly snarl brought shivers down their backs and their fear propelled them into action. " _Let go_!"

Seto Kentaro smirked and ignored the palpable threats in front of him and brought Akashi's golden-covered wrist to his cheek. His eyes flickered up and he gave the three Generation of Miracles a sadistic heated gaze before bending his head forwards and leaving a taunting bite on the skin of Akashi's palm.

Aomine snarled and his fingers dug deeper into the Seto Kentaro's neck but he did not let go even if the guards rushed forwards to protect their high-ranking Council Head. As soon as the first two guards got near and swung their batons down to disable Aomine, Murasakibara's eyes flashed and his powerful arms and fists sent them impacting against the far wall in heaps.

The other guards rushed forwards to disable and detain Aomine and Murasakibara when Akashi's voice rang out, "STOP!"

The power in that one command stopped everybody in their tracks. Aomine had to wrestle his protective fury down to a simmering lick inside his mind before reluctantly prying his hand away from the chokehold he had on Seto Kentaro. Tearing his body away, Aomine turned around and protectively flanked Akashi's side. He felt Murasakibara shift aside and he curled an arm around Akashi's shoulders in a clear display of possessiveness and protectiveness. The arm that Murasakibara had around Akashi's waist was a warm weight against Aomine's skin and he reveled in the sense of united possessiveness.

With a flick of Seto Kentaro's hand, the guards retreated and they were left staring at each other warily.

The tense atmosphere was broken by Seto Kentaro's sudden, unexpected remark, "So I see that the rumors are true. The Generation of Miracles  _are_  bond mates. That's  _very, very_  interesting..."

Akashi coldly replied, completely ignoring Seto Kentaro's previous remark, "We shall take our leave, Kentaro. Please do restrain your...pets next time. We wouldn't want any incidences to get out of hand."

Seto Kentaro's voice dripped with sweet venom. "Yes of course. It has been  _a pleasure_  meeting you all."

Akashi turned around sharply and strolled languidly towards the door with Aomine and Murasakibara right on his heels, and they coldly left without a goodbye or dismissal.

* * *

The smirk on Seto Kentaro's face was full of violent amusement and after witnessing the scene Aida Riko knew that Seto Kentaro's mind had already made connections and already making up plans to draw them into his spiderweb. Inside her mind she shuddered for them.

His eyes snapped towards her in reprimand, " _Riko_ , if they are here again next time. Do not hesitate to call me. You should have called one of the members of the Kirasaki Daichi to help you deal with something so big like this. Do not repeat your mistake."

She inclined her head in a shallow respectful nod. "Yes sir. I understand."

Then she tentatively inquired, "Forgive my directness sir but your actions towards them were a bit bold. Usually Superiors treat each other very cordially in public settings...were you...trying to test them, sir?"

"Yes, I was and it seems like they have been keeping some secrets. Their  _change of heart_  had to come from a turning point. If we find that point, we can control them." Seto Kentaro's eyes flashed with increasing dark excitement.

"I see..." Riko's voice was a hesitant mumble. Seto Kentaro gave a knowing grin and he turned around to leave flanked by his guards.

"I will be with the High Lord so I want no disturbances today." Riko's eyes widened in alarm but her respectful nod covered her unconscious show of fear.

"Oh...and Riko?"

She felt her shoulders and spine tense in growing anxiety but she coolly replied with a "Yes, sir?"

"Send Haizaki Shogo and Kagami Taiga to my office after my meeting with the High Lord."

* * *

"There doesn't seem to be much information on the High Lord's inner circle, the Kirasaki Daichi group. Maybe we should focus on other council members, Kise-kun." Momoi Satsuki lightly suggested.

Beside Kise was a girl with long sweeping light bubblegum pink hair. She donned a simple light green sweater that did nothing to hide her voluptuous curves, and a simple dark blue skirt. Kise glanced at her nervous shuffling and put a gentle arm on her shoulder. "Yeah, that's a good idea Momoicchi."

Momoi beamed at him and as she tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear her silver wrist cover flashed in the light. Kise heart constricted at the sight and he thanked the heavens that they managed to find her.

Aomine and Momoi were childhood friends and were raised together in the same household. Momoi was an orphan who had been bought by the Aomine household at the age of two. She was raised and trained to be Aomine's personal servant, but instead a deep friendship developed between them. However, three months after the Genration of Miracles met and bonded, Satsuki was sold to another household without Aomine's knowledge. Aomine was devastated when he discovered her gone and with his bond mates' help, they managed to retrieve her two months into her stay at the Harasawa household.

After knowing her for two years now, Kise would say, without a doubt that she was one of the most amazing, happy and compassionate people he has ever known. He knew that Akashi, Murasakibara and Midorima felt the same and they all shared a fond brotherly affection for her. They would not hesitate to protect her and when Kise looked at her now, he was relieved that they had made the decision to remove her from society's political machinations. Now she was so well hidden and removed that she became their eyes and ears, moving fluidly between the Inferior and Superior class systems and gathering valuable intel from her vast network of connections.

"Kise-kun...are you sure that Kuroko is your bond mate?" Kise's curious eyes met her cautious ones.

"Yes we're sure. Why? Is something wrong, Momoicchi?"

Momoi searched his face for any sign of doubt before she relented and said, "No...it's just that I have heard from my connections that there is 'a phantom' serving the Supreme council and Kuroko's presence and appearance fits this description they gave me..."

Kise sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Gods...we had hoped that you wouldn't dig too far, but that's too naive isn't it?"

He gave her a sad aching look. "Yes...Kurokocchi worked for them before. But, you have to understand that it was not his choice. You didn't have a choice too right, Momoicchi?"

At that Momoi tiredly nodded her head, and her suspicions evaporated. Now, she only felt empathy towards the blue hair boy because she understood what it felt like to be mistreated and forced into servitude just because of her Inferior status.

After a while, she focused her attention back into organizing all the information they had gathered. The comfortable studious atmosphere was broken by the sound of a rattling door, and Akashi walked in with Aomine and Murasakibara closely surrounding him.

Kise perked up at their arrival and ran full tilt at them with a bright smile on his face. He glomped Akashi and Aomine in a bear hug but his excitement died down when he saw the dark looks in all their eyes.

"What's wrong Murasakicchi? Aominecchi are you alright?..." Before Kise could ask Akashi, Murasakibara lifted Akashi up and deposited him on his lap whilst Aomine spun around and grabbed Akashi's arm.

On the skin of Akashi's arm there were purple and green bruises in the glaring shapes of fingers, and the sight sparked a fresh wave of helpless anger in him. Kise mimicked Aomine's gentle touch and ran his fingers silently across the bruises.

Aomine's eyes held the same haunted and helpless look that Murasakibara's had. "That damn  _bastard!_ We can't do anything to them!  _Damn the rules_ , I will  _tear_  them to pieces for this!"

Kise was fuming. He absentmindedly trailed his fingers forward and his attention returned when his finger tips came back slightly wet with blood. He stared at the bite on Akashi's palm in horror.

A sigh near him brought him out of his churning emotions and Kise turned around and saw Midorima with a first aid kit coming down the stairs.

Midorima gave Akashi's injuries an inscrutable, neutral look, took out antiseptic, cream, some band aids and started to treat them. However, the lingering touches Midorima left on Akashi's arm and palm were full of resigned throbbing agony.

"What happened, Seijuro?"

Akashi reached up his uninjured palm and ran his fingers across Midorima's cheek and Kise's hair in comfort before he replied. "We have already informed the Supreme council that we will not work with them from now on," Akashi's next words were met with a growl from the mute Murasakibara and a silently fuming Aomine.

"But then we had a run-in with Seto Kentaro, the Head of the Human Segregation division and a member of the Kirasaki Daichi group."

Midorima, Kise and Momoi shared an understanding look.

"So you met... _him_." Kise's voice was flat with disgust. Kise knew that an encounter with any of the members in the Kirasaki Daichi group would not be pleasant from all the warnings his and Momoi's informants have given, but seeing evidence of it was different than hearing it from a third party.

"From now on, they will target us won't they?" Midorima received an acute nod from Akashi. He took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. The rare sight of vulnerability displayed by Midorima made Kise's heart ache in similar pain so he wrapped a soothing arm around his mate's lean waist.

"If Aka-chin, Kise-chin, Ao-chin and Kuro-chin go anywhere I will come along from now on.  _No more_  separation." The sudden random but vehement declaration warmed their hearts. The tight hold Murasakibara had on Akashi showed the depth of his fear and they all moved towards their tall giant to comfort him. In their minds, there was no question that from now on no one would be alone. Everywhere they go their bond mates will accompany them, because if they let each other out of their sights...they might lose sight of one another in this barbaric world.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, the next chapter will focus on the Generation of Miracles but there's a reason why you guys needed to see some of Kiyoshi' s background and history. Kiyoshi and Hyuuga will be invaluable to the Generation of Miracles later on.
> 
> I'll come back armed with another chapter! :-3

The door opened with a click and Kagami Taiga walked confidently into the office. He was helping Kiyoshi Teppei with the organisation of the next Council Meeting when a nervous guard had hesitantly delivered the message that his presence was required by Seto Kentaro.

The oddity of the request itself put Kagami off from being more disgruntled and loud about voicing his displeasure. Instead he donned a professional mask and punctually arrived at the General's office.

He entered the room and saw Seto standing behind his desk looking out of the window deep in thought. There was a movement to his left before Haizaki Shogo entered the room and took his place next to Kagami.

Seto turned his attention back to them at their arrival, and leaned languidly against the window sill.

"I have called both of you here today for an assignment. Your skills are required."

Kagami barely managed to hide his shock because it was rare for him or any of the other Council Members to receive an assignment. Assignments are usually left to be completed by the Inferiors in the Supreme Council's service, leaving more important duties of running the economy and society to the Council heads. To be called here for an assignment was unprecedented for Kagami so it must be something that concerns the stability of the Supreme Council and its laws. Next to him, he could feel Haizaki Shogo listening in curiosity and eagerness.

"Recently, a group have started stirring up trouble. Well, let's just say they have made... _unfavourable_  stances."

There was a small pause and Seto Kentaro's voice filled with dark flitting authority. "I want you to temporarily enroll into Teikou, and keep an eye on the group. They're called the 'Generation of Miracles'," At this he drew their attention to two thick files on his desk and gestured to it.

"These files are for you to familiarize yourself with your assignments. All the information you need to know about the five members of the Generation of Miracles are in here."

Seto waited for their confirmations before he continued, "I want both of you to report to me everything you find out about them. Constantly keep me up to date."

Seto Kentaro glanced at them briefly before the edges of his lips curled up minutely in dark excitement, "I also authorize the need for any violence to accomplish this."

To say Kagami was surprised would be an understatement. The Generation of Miracles were notoriously famous in both class systems and their domination of international industries have become a serious critical threat to the Supreme Council's control. There wasn't a single person you could cross who did not know their names. They were so powerful that there has been nervous titterings among members of the Supreme Council about their ability to influence the laws put down by the Supreme Council. Kagami looked down at the file in his hands and he knew that he had to talk to his friends about their thoughts on this. He could feel that something major was happening in the Supreme Council, so he efficiently gave a respectful reply. "I understand, Seto-san."

Seto Kentaro gave him a short inscrutable stare before he waved his hand in dismissal. Kagami turned around to leave but Haizaki Shogo's unwillingness to leave brought an uncomfortable foreboding feeling in his guts. He knew that there was going to be trouble soon.

* * *

Kagami strode powerfully across the lawn of the Council's Headquarters. His looming size and a skulking thoughtful expression painted him in a scary formidable light and people hurriedly scrambled out of his path. He did not seem to notice the effect his scowling face and looming size had on bystanders until a voice exuberantly called out,

"Oi, Kagami! Why're are you scaring off people like flies?" The speed in which he was pulled out of his thoughts left him even more disgruntled and he turned and grumpily retorted, "I ain't scaring them off! They're just strange!"

Kiyoshi Teppei headed towards him in a comfortable running jog and a deeply amused smile on his face. He reached Kagami, quirked his eyebrow in dubiousness and drawled, "Of course it's not your fault..." At this he teasingly pressed a finger to the dark furrow on Kagami's forehead. When his eyebrows stopped furrowing in angry tense lines he realized that Kiyoshi was right, and sheepishly rubbed his nape. Kiyoshi laughed at him good-naturedly and slung an arm around his shoulders in camaraderie.

"So...what are you doing out here Kagami?" He knew as soon as Kiyoshi asked him, he would not be able to resist telling him. Kiyoshi was like his mentor. There wasn't much Kagami could keep from his sharp, knowing eyes.

Kagami lowered his usually booming voice to a careful, cautious whisper. "I have been ordered to complete an assignment in Teikou. To keep an eye on the Generation of Miracles..." Kagami's words trailed off when he noticed that his friend and mentor had a startled look of surprise.

Kagami nodded his head in understanding and said, "I know...I was just as surprised. It was strange enough that a Council Member like me is sent out on an assignment...but  _damn_...to be sent to keep an eye on the  _freaking_  Generation of Miracles...that's weird!" By the end his voice had risen to quite a loud volume. His rant was cut off abruptly by Kiyoshi's hands on his shoulder.

Kagami turned around and saw a hard dangerous glint in his mentor's usually very optimistic, kind and cheerful face.

"Kagami, keep your voice down!" But Kiyoshi gentled his harsh reprimand with his next words. "We need to talk somewhere private." Kagami could feel the hand on his shoulder slowly steer him away and he asked in gruff, wary confusion.

"Kiyoshi-senpai...what?!" Kagami could barely voice his question before Kiyoshi shushed him again, so he quietened when he saw Kiyoshi's serious look.

* * *

Kagami was led to Kiyoshi's car and he hastily climbed inside. Kiyoshi silently got in and he drove Kagami to his villa in tense silence. After thirty minutes of driving they reached the lush, sparse driveway of Kiyoshi's villa and climbed out. The servants waiting in front of his mentor's entrance took their military coats and without another glance they both headed towards the room Kagami regularly uses when he stays over.

After settling comfortably in the room, Kagami impatiently rounded on Kiyoshi to demand an answer when Kiyoshi suddenly said, "I have recently heard from Riko that the Generation of Miracles have cut off their support and cooperation with the Supreme Council."

The statement left him speechless and he could only utter a "...w-what?!"

Kiyoshi gave him a sympathetic look and continued. "I think that they are making a public statement about the Supreme Council and its laws."

Kagami sighed and mumbled in disgruntled irritation . "And now I have ta go and keep an eye on those arrogant rich bastards..."

Kiyoshi hummed in thoughtfulness but his mentor's reply echoed the lingering, foreboding thoughts in his mind. "Maybe, but they might not be doing this out of arrogance or to show their power. There might be a deeper reason behind this."

Kiyoshi's eyes turned to stare at him earnestly. "Be careful at Teikou, Kagami. Riko and I only have a limited amount of influence. We aren't as influential as Seto Kentaro. He is the High Lord's right-hand man so be  _very wary_  around him."

Kagami heeded his mentor's words with deep care and he knew that he had been pulled into an inevitable power struggle between two powerful groups of people. And somehow he innately knew that this was only the start to a monumentous change.

* * *

Kiyoshi was staring out of the large window in his room at the early afternoon sun when the click of the door drew him from his tumultuous thoughts. Without turning he knew exactly who had entered.

"Teppei, Kagami has just settled into his room."

Hyuga Junpei was a serious looking man with rectangular rimmed glasses perched precariously on his sharp nose. Kiyoshi felt his lips lift in amusement when he looked at the short spiky hair and remembered how it used to be dyed a glaring slick blond colour in a fit of rebelliousness a few years ago.

"Hey Jun, you just got back?" Kiyoshi received a tired glare when he cheerfully and quite loudly asked the question, however he still received an exasperated fond reply.

"Yes, obviously."

The sound of a flomp on the seat next to him alerted him to his spaced out thoughts, and Kiyoshi apologetically returned his attention to Junpei when he noticed that he was being intensely studied by a calm, collected gaze.

"Are you alright, Teppei? You...seem a bit distracted today."

"Sorry Jun... Recently, there have been some things that have come up in the Supreme Council and-" Kiyoshi glanced out the window and his voice tapered off into a mumble "it was distracting me a bit. That's all."

Kiyoshi apologetically held out his palm and Junpei slipped his hand into the warm hold. He pulled Junpei to his side and wrapped an arm around his waist. Kiyoshi ran his fingers in comfortable circles under Junpei's silver wrist cover and Kiyoshi felt an indulgent grin pull at his lips when he felt the soothing edges of his name under Junpei's wrist. The familiarity and the solid proof of their bond made the tension from his long day of work at the Supreme Council slowly evaporate from his pores.

A whisper brought him out off his pliant state. "The Supreme Council huh?..." The undisguised hint of hatred in his mate's voice made his heart pang in guilt and sadness.

Kiyoshi tiredly sighed into Junpei's hair and in an aching, soft whisper said, "I'm sorry, Jun...I had no choice. I had to protect you."

It was an argument they had hashed out so many times already, it became their regular routine of apologies and self-blame.

Kiyoshi felt his bondmate immediately reply with apologetic exhaustion, "No. I  _never_  blamed you..."

Junpei's coal black orbs met his light brown eyes, and a gentle hand was laid on his cheek. "I blame  _them_."

There was aching sadness in his mate's coal-black eyes. "You should have just left me there with them. It was my  _fate!_ Part of my life. But then you appeared and...you took me from under their thumb."

Kiyoshi rested his forehead gently against Junpei's and said in the softest tone, " _Of_   _course_ , I did. When I finally found you-  _my bondmate-_ you were suffering under their thumb for  _so long_." Turning his head slightly he lightly kissed the palm resting against his cheek.

A hand fisted Kiyoshi's shirt and a brittle voice spoke up, "But...but you traded your service for mine. Now..you have to work for them in return for my freedom! They will always be able to threaten  _you_  with my existence!" Self-loathing welled up in Junpei's voice and Kiyoshi tightened his hold on Junpei.

Kiyoshi felt his golden wrist cover clink softly against his mate's silver one and Kiyoshi intertwined their hands together. "I would do  _anything_  for you...even sell my soul to that  _despicable_  Council."

Kiyoshi lifted Junpei's chin and sincerely said, "So don't blame yourself. There was nothing you could have done." Then he smiled and his tone held a optimistic teasing undertone, "Don't worry, I can take care of myself. They wouldn't dare hurt me as much because of my status."

The optimism fled and a slightly desperate tone prevailed, "But they wouldn't have hesitated to hurt you. I couldn't leave you there like that.  _How could I_  do that?!-"

Junpei wanted to erase that dull ache in Kiyoshi's voice, to erase the abject horror and misery in his bondmate's normally gentle voice so reluctantly he nodded his head to appease his mate before he gave Kiyoshi an apologetic kiss.

For a long time they stood there against each other without any word needed to be said and just comfortably watched the bright sky. 

Kiyoshi's rumbling statement pushed him into alertness. "Jun, soon...everything might change though."

Junpei gave his mate a curious look and a serious question tumbled out, "Why's that?"

Kiyoshi looked at him seriously, and there was a hint of excitement in those chocolate-brown eyes. "I have a feeling that the Generations of Miracles will bring a tidal wave of change. They might be able to free this world from the Council's oppression."

Junpei felt a small well of hope blossom at Kiyoshi's words and the knowledge of the Generation of Miracles' vast influence only boosted his hope. Junpei knew implicitly that his bondmate was hinting that the Generation of Miracles had taken a stand against the Supreme Council.

One consuming thought echoed through their shared bond.

_They might be like us. They might be bond mates who have been forced to separate by the merciless labels of Inferiors...and Superiors..._


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! This chapter is slow going but Kuroko needed to meet Hyuuga Junpei. Kuroko will be the catalyst for Kiyoshi and Kagami to understand the Generation of Miracles better and for Kagami to learn and understand Inferiors better. Kagami still is a bit naive and is not really open to the realities (like his brother Himuro Tatsuya) until he meets Kuroko and gets to know him better.

Kuroko clumsily fumbled with the sleeves of his uniform, trying to maneuver the cast on his wrist through the impossibly small sleeves. Long nimble fingers rested on Kuroko's nape before he was tenderly spun around. In front of him, Midorima stood immaculately dressed in his black customary uniform. Midorima's taped hands ran across Kuroko's shirt collar before they placidly straightened his lapels. Then with gentle hands Midorima guided his hands through the sleeve before tucking it into the light blue sling on Kuroko. Kuroko gave his bond mate a shy smile before standing on his toes to leave a small peck on Midorima's lips. Bashfully he didn't dare to look up until a small chuckle near him made him look in that direction. He saw Kise and Aomine standing next to him, leaning comfortably against one another. Kise had a hand on Aomine's tie trying to straighten it out from the messy tangle it had become, but his attention stayed on all three of his bond mates.

"Midorimacchi, that red colour on you fits so well!" Kise's face held a wealth of amusement and his teasing heated leer deepened Midorima's blush to new levels of red.

Turning around, Midorima fled briskly to the door and left. The ensuing silence was consequently filled with Kise's cheerful, ecstatic laughter, Aomine's huffing chuckles and Murasakibara's beaming smile.

Akashi's amused voice drifted from where he was seated with a Shogi board against the headboard of their large king-size bed, "Midorima probably left to make breakfast. Instead of giggling, maybe you should go help him cook, Ryouta?" This was followed by an expectant look from Akashi.

Kise's laughter died abruptly and he had a deer in a headlights look that was hilarious in its mortified fear. Kuroko gave a tiny grin at Kise's fear of kitchens and cooking in general. Aomine and Kise had tried cooking once in the last week they were all ensconced in Momoi Satsuki's apartment, but they managed to accidentally burn water and set nearly half of the kitchen on fire. Kuroko and Murasakibara had intervened before Momoi's apartment was burned down and before they gave Midorima, Akashi and Momoi heart attacks.

Kuroko had been slightly surprised but ecstatic to discover that Murasakibara held a similar passion for cooking like he did, and they have spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen bonding over delicious cuisines and the staccato sounds of food cooking and pans rattling.

Deciding to save Kise and Aomine from Akashi's torture, Kuroko went over to their gigantic bed where Murasakibara was lazily sprawled against the warm sheets and tugged at his hand. Murasakibara gave him a drowsy glance but he seemed to instantly understand Kuroko so he perked up and tightened his hold. Immediately Murasakibara lumbered up, and hand in hand they headed towards the kitchen to help Midorima with breakfast before they returned to Teikou from their week-long absence.

* * *

Ever since they walked into the front gates of Teikou, Kuroko could feel students' eyes tracking them and he could hear frequent smatterings of harsh whispers. The frisson of dissent in the air was because Kise had recently purposefully leaked the news through his popular magazine brands that the Generation of Miracles have stopped supporting any government projects.

Kuroko knew that his bondmates' had deliberated intensely and agonizingly before taking that step. Kuroko was there with them every step of the way and his heart bled in self-hatred and guilt at causing them so much suffering but they reassured him, every time negative thoughts pervaded his mind. Now a small, hidden part of him have started to believe in their words and the promises it holds.

The stares unnerved Kuroko greatly but his presence was further concealed by the protective circle his bond mates formed around him. The feeling of being sheltered so thoughtfully brought a low, warm flutter in this chest and with a twitch of his lips Kuroko made his presence even harder to register. Misdirecting the majority of student's gazes away he walked near his bondmates' side.

Kuroko saw the depth of their love and he knew that he was similarly lost in his love for them too. Walking beside them, he swore that if the laws and the world did not allow him to be with them then he would erase his presence; Instead he would walk with them as their shadow in the sunlight and as their guardian in the moonlight. Kuroko knew that once his heart went to them, he would not be able to leave them but instead he would fight tooth and nail to stay by their side.

* * *

Murasakibara was sitting in class with Akashi, Aomine, Midorima and Kise slowly munching on a gummy bear from his container of sweets. Murasakibara stuffed another three gummy bears into his mouth to stop the scoff that nearly escaped his lips at the recurring thought of seperate classes. When Kuroko parted with them today, he could see the pain in his mate's baby-blue eyes. The obvious cause for it was the Inferior classes that Kuroko was put in, where only Inferior teachers were allowed to teach and where they were segregated to a small, run-down building with horrible facilities.

He turned his head slightly from his blank, fake stare out the window when there was soft chiming voice in his mind,

_Atsushi, there's something going on-_

Murasakibara swiveled his head around with an expression of boredom, when his mind was actually calculating the dangers and possible explanations for class being so unnaturally interrupted.

Their teacher stopped in the middle of his lecture and gave a respectful incline of his head in greeting to the three Superiors standing at the doorway. The principal's average but stern bearing was completely dwarfed by the two new students behind him. Murasakibara's eyes were drawn to the giant man with dark crimson hair and a fairly fierce face. The aura pouring of the man was akin to Aomine's wild unpredictable nature, but Murasakibara could spot stark differences between the aura of his bond mate, Aomine, and the new student. Aomine's aura and presence itself felt like a force of a storm- powerful, wild- whilst the red headed student's presence felt like a tiger's, wild but reckless and untameable.

The principal walked into the classroom with the new students following closely behind. Then the principal clapped his hands once and announced, "These students are your new classmates. Please treat them cordially with utmost respect." The principal turned around and gave the two students a companionable pat on the back and left. The presence of the principal himself brought alarm bells to his head and a look at all his mates' faces told him that they thought the same.

Their teacher gave the shorter platinum blond haired male an expectant look. Murasakibara saw him straighten in confidence and sauntered forwards. With a brash voice he said, "My name is Haizaki Shogo." The short blunt statement was left rudely hanging like that before the red haired giant stepped forwards and introduced himself. "Hey, My name's Kagami Taiga. Nice to meet you."

They quickly took their assigned seats when the teacher waved them off in dismissal to continue the lecture. But throughout the whole lesson, Murasakibara could feel their eyes on him. The irritating crawl along their bond showed him that Akashi, Aomine, Kise and Midorima felt the same. He knowingly hummed and stuffed another handful of sweets into his mouth.

_Huh...The Supreme council...this was going to be interesting._

* * *

Kagami ran a hand through his hair in irritation and took his seat on a desk in the library. He took fleeting glimpses of the Generation of Miracles throughout the class but there was something about them that made the hairs on his neck stand. Sometimes it was like they were one unit. They moved with each other so fluidly and non-verbally that it looked scarily rehearsed. But it wasn't their scarily accurate understanding of each other, it was also the gleam of sly, cunning intelligence in their eyes and the dangerous predatory auras around them. Alone, each of them were a force to be reckoned with, but together they were terrifying. Kagami could finally understand why the Supreme Council was so wary of their influence. Their mere presence drew everybody's eyes, and their bearings were captivating and exuded dominance; and each of them had traits which were unique but endeared them to people around them.

Kagami expelled a weary sigh and haphazardly collapsed onto his chair. The chair groaned under his weight but he ignored it. Instead he focused on his jumbled thoughts. He has always supported his friends. After meeting Kiyoshi's mate and becoming friends with Junpei, Kagami knew that he could not just stand by, he had to take a stand but even together there wasn't much that they could do. After seeing the wrongness in the Council his brother left, leaving Kagami with the duties of being a Council Head and the heir of the Kagami family line.

He's never been good with dealing with any Council business and could not understand the intricacies of politics but Kiyoshi and Riko have always been there to support him. Kagami looked down at the files in his hands and knew that he would hide whatever information he could without giving himself away to Seto Kentaro. From Kiyoshi's words he knew that the Generation of Miracles might bring the change that Kiyoshi so desperately crave, but first Kagami knew that he had to test and confirm the Generation of Miracles' intentions before he could take any action.

* * *

Kuroko trudged to the library as soon as the bell rung to meet his bond mates. During his fluid silent movement through the corridors, in his absentmindedness, Kuroko marginally bumped into a person. He was lightly halted by a hand on his shoulder and regretful voices. There were three students standing before him on a secluded turn in the corridor genially apologizing for the accident. Kuroko gave them a thankful smile and was about to give in his own apology when their eyes flashed and they recoiled in disgust.

Looking down he saw that his sleeve had ridden up and his silver wrist cover was plainly visible. Before Kuroko could do anything else, a hand had gripped his recovering dislocated shoulder and pushed him against the wall. Kuroko's shoulder flared in fiery agony and he clutched his broken wrist defensively against his chest. Sneering voices called out biting words, " _Filthy_  second-rate creature! How  _dare you_  taint us!" Through blurry eyes he could make out fists heading towards him with brutal strength.

Out of nowhere an angry loud voice boosted, " _Hey_! What are you three doing?!" They immediately stopped and everybody turned around to stare at the man and girl that had come running towards them at a brisk pace.

The man with short midnight black hair, glasses and a serious sharp face fearlessly barged between the three bullies and Kuroko, effectively blocking their view of him. However, Kuroko did not notice this because he was too busy staring at Momoi Satsuki. She had knelt beside him and asked, "Are you alright, Kuroko?"

"Yes." He tilted his head in curiosity and inquired, "but why are you here, Momoi-san?"

Momoi beamed then gave him a brief glomping hug before she cheerfully murmured, "Dai-chan and Akashi-kun thought that it was a good idea for me to be here with everybody, so they got me a space as the assistant extracurricular activities manager."

Kuroko nodded his understanding and hastily turned his attention back to the three bullies.

When the bullies realized that the people who had come to help Kuroko were wearing silver wrist covers they mockingly continued. " _Aww. Look at that_. Low lives have come to help each other.  _Isn't that nice?_ " Their derisive taunt was ended by the sound of cracking knuckles. The man before Kuroko had an deeply annoyed look on his face and emitting homicidal waves in spades. The 180° change in the man was terrifying but at the same time endearingly funny to see.

"What did you say, you  _punks_?!" The dark haired man gave them a quirked eyebrow and irritably continued, "It doesn't matter what status I am. You should always respect your elders!"

Kuroko coughed to hide his grin when he saw the three bullies shuffle backwards in fear. Giving them a last sneer of disgust the bullies turned and left.

The man stood there for a few minutes before he cracked his neck and crouched down. He gave Kuroko a kind smile and kind words, "Are you alright there?"

Kuroko respectfully nodded his head. "Thank you for helping me. My name is Kuroko Testuya."

The man gave Kuroko an assessing look for injuries before he clasped Kuroko's hand in a handshake. "I'm the assistant librarian for Teikou and my name is Hyuga Junpei. Pleasure to meet you."


	15. Chapter 15

After a few days of getting to know Hyuga and Momoi better, Kuroko was happy to realize that he had started to consider them friends.

There was a calm collected aura around his senpai, but at the same time, there was also a tint of sadness in his eyes. The same tint of sadness that Kuroko held, and Kuroko had slowly come to realize that they might be more similar to each other than they know.

Kuroko was puttering in the library helping Hyuga-senpai when there was a loud crash. Kuroko raced towards the loud noise and saw a pile of books strewn messily in a mound on top of a...person.

Inching forwards, he tried to poke the lump of flesh and on the tenth poke a grumble reached his ears. A head with crimson hair poked out of the mound. The student snarled grumpily before pushing the books off himself. Kuroko waited patiently for the person to notice him and grinned when the red-head's eyes focused on him and he automatically let out a dismayed shout.

A expletive list of swear words left his lips in a rush and Kuroko eyes widened in slight mortification. " _Fuck! Damn._..that scared the  _shit_  out of me."

He narrowed his eyes at Kuroko and hissed, " _Sheesh_ , you're going to give someone a heart attack one day."

Kuroko gave him a serene look and said, "Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

The red-head shook his head and stood up, causing the books to cascade down in loud heaps. Kuroko gave the red-head an efficient reply, "Ok" before he started to stand up and gather the books to stack them back onto the shelves.

"Oi...wait a second, you don't have to do that." Kuroko gave the red head an unimpressed look and continued on his task. A second later, he was joined by the tall red-head and they worked together in companionable silence.

Kuroko stood up and dusted of his hands before bending down to pick up the heavy tomes, to find that they have already been moved by the red-head. The red-head gave him a fierce but thankful grin and said in a gruff voice, "Thank you for helping me." He stuck out his hand and introduced himself, "My name is Kagami Taiga. What's yours, midget?"

Kuroko gave Kagami an deadpan, unimpressed glare but it was tempered by the gentle handshake he gave. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Kuroko Tetsuya."

And that was the start of a great long-lasting friendship between Kuroko and Kagami.

* * *

The pale-haired boy in front of Kagami intrigued him with his mild presence and unassuming nature. On the surface it seemed like that was all the boy was, but on closer inspection Kagami could see old eyes that have seen and gone through too much pain, a fleeting speck of darkness that showed that innocence was not all that he possessed and a dark lurking promise of lethal danger.

Before Kagami's mind could fully comprehend his actions, he had blurted out,

"Do you need my help with sorting out books in the library?" Kuroko gave him an assessing look and a warm nod. Kagami followed him towards the front desk and came face to face with his friend, Hyuga Junpei. Surprised he exclaimed, "Hyuga-senpai, what are you doing here?"

His friend gave him a long-suffering sigh and replied, "I work here because that's what normal people do. They  _work. Everyday_."

Kagami ducked his head and sheepishly scratched his cheek when he realized how stupid that sounded out loud. Hyuga's fond tone drifted over the sounds of flipping pages, "Not that it's bad to see you Kagami but why are you here?"

Kagami shiftily glanced sideways and answered with a vague reply, "Ah...um. I just enrolled here a few days ago."

Hyuga gave him a dubious look and drawled, " _I see._.." but his eyes had a knowing look that held the demand for a long explanation.

Kagami rolled his eyes and turned around to help Kuroko when a group of students walked into the library. He wanted to brain himself against the wall and curse his bad luck because in front of him were the  _damn_  Generation of Miracles and they were eyeing him with a dark dissecting look.

_God damn...he hated this freaking assignment._


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi dear readers,
> 
> All...I wanted to say was...thank you for being so patient with me and being so supportive of my story. And thank you for your amazing reviews, likes and follows. I was only able to finish a few chapters since the last update but I hope this chapter will be to your expectations. Stories and words have been my salvation but even though they are not yours I still hope this story brings you a small measure of joy.

Kuroko eyes widened and he cocked his head to try pick up the bustle of background noise when eerie silence enveloped the front area.

There wasn't even a rustle of paper and an almost poignant tension pierced the air and that alone made him wary so he headed towards the front desk where he left Kagami and Hyuga. It took him a while to comprehend that there were more people there and they were his bond mates, but when Kuroko did an open and soft smile broke out. Kuroko was about to introduce his bond mates to Kagami and Hyuga when he was unceremoniously yanked by three pairs of hands into a cocoon of warmth. Then he felt Akashi drape an arm around his shoulder, Kise tucking Kuroko's face against his nape and Midorima had a hand wrapped protectively and snuggly (but not bruising, never bruising) around his arm. He peeked out from the protective cocoon to see Murasakibara and Aomine standing on each side like great lurking sentinels on guard. Their poses were casual and relaxed but sharp and ready to leap into a defensive attack at the drop of a pin.

Kagami and Hyuga took a short moment to process the sudden flurry of movements before Kagami curled and coiled his body in a battle-ready stance, eyes flashing with unrestrained feral light. Kagami snarled out a low command, made even more chilling by the reckless curl of his lips.

"Oi you bastards! What do you think you're doing to Kuroko?"

Kuroko saw the cogs in Akashi's brain turn the instant Kagami uttered that statement. Akashi kept his silence and gave the two a scrutinizing look, and as soon as Kagami tensed his body in readiness to attack, Akashi held up a hand and said in a clear, no-nonsense, bland voice.

"Relax, both of you. No need to be alarmed. We would never harm Kuroko."

Kuroko could see his senpai's eyes widen and a subtle short look of utter shock flash through his eyes before Hyuga's face cleared and a small, relaxed smile teased his lips. Hyuga laid a restraining hand on Kagami's shoulder when it looked as though the statement drove Kagami deeper into anger.

"Kagami."

Kagami was shaken out of his thoughts by the hand on his shoulder and he turned to give Hyuga an annoyed glare, but the look in his friend's eyes were so relaxed and sure that they settled his metaphorical hackles. Kagami grumbled out a short, blunt "fine" before tension bled out of his frame.

A long, tense silence followed. The stares they gave each other were long, wary and cautious and no one wanted to break the staring match between the two sides until Kuroko gave a soft but sharp cough. Kuroko sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before he tentatively offered, "Um...maybe we should move to a more private location?"

The question broke his bondmates' scrutinizing stares and their tense body language. Kuroko felt the arms around give him reassuring squeeze before they retreated. Akashi gave him an inscrutable, lingering look and simply said, "No. That's unnecessary." There was a quick fleeting caress on his hip before Akashi straightened, shot a small warning look to Kagami and Hyuga and turned to their bondmates to whisper in a brief and low tone.

Their bond vibrated with a predatory calculating hum in Kuroko's mind and the barely visible gleams in all his bondmates' eyes brought a wave of trust and love in his chest.

His bond mates turned around and moved to leave the library with fluid grace and smooth unity. However, before they left Aomine ran his fingers through Kuroko's hair and the imperceptible feeling of air hitting the shell of his ear in a whisper made his spine tingle.

"It seems like we...misjudged your friends, Tetsu."

Aomine's dark-onyx eyes met his sky-blue ones in a piercing, mischievous stare before he smirked and turned to follow the others, leaving Kuroko reeling and his cheeks slightly flushed for no reason at all. Kuroko ducked his head and pouted, it was entirely unfair how easy and fast their touches and heated looks could leave him flushing in embarrassment and tingling from anticipation.

When he was able to control his rolling anticipation he turned around to his friends to see Hyuga giving him a knowing smirk and chuckle that made him want to squirm. Next to Hyuga, Kagami eyed them both with a questioning and suspicious look but shrugged in resignation and instead asked,

"You know 'em, Kuroko?"

Kagami's question struck him deeply and it sent his mind into panic. How was he supposed to answer his friend? Kuroko turned his head slightly and stared at the ground to control the panic clawing up his throat.

He could not tell Kagami the truth because that would be tantamount to dooming his bondmates if the truth ever got out, but in his heart, there was a part of him that wanted to jump in joy and stand from rooftops proudly declaring his love and devotion to the world. The part that logically understood the risks of revelation warred with the part of his heart that held passion and love for them. The need to let everyone know that they were his and that he belonged to them ached in throbbing misery and resignation. Hyuga-senpai must have understood or predicted his train of thought because a hand landed on his shoulders and gave a soft reassuring squeeze. A moment later a calm, serious but gentle statement from his senpai came.

"Kagami, if Kuroko is uncomfortable answering then we should leave it alone."

Kagami looked at his senpai and he was shocked to see a palpable aura of protectiveness in the gleam of steel in his eyes, along with a soft lurking look that Kagami could not identify. Kagami gave Hyuga a quizzical look but he still inclined his head at his friend's implicit request. Hyuga's eyes lost a little of its strong piercing glare and he gave Kagami a grateful smile.

Hyuga turned his attention back to the still silent boy near his side and kindly met his sky-blue eyes. He gave Kuroko a smile and suggested,

"Why don't we get some lunch together? The bell hasn't rung yet but we better go before hoards of people starting swarming to the dining hall."

* * *

After leaving a lunch break with Kuroko's soft hard-won smiles and laughs and Kagami's booming exuberance, Hyuga felt like the burden on his shoulders had lightened by a thousand tonnes. After meeting Kuroko and getting to know the younger boy better he felt a strong brotherly affection for his new friend and a kinship that he had never experienced before. A kinship borne from empathy, borne from the hard, painful experiences of being seen as a commodity and as a slave to other people's whims. The foggy haze that he lived under for years helped him detach his mind from the atrocities he was subjected to, and until he met Teppei his world was bleak and hopeless. He had nothing to live for. Nothing to hold on to until he met his bondmate. In Kuroko's eyes Hyuga saw the same emotions he had experienced- a conflicting mix of disbelief, peaceful affection, elation, anxiety and fear. But, he could also see the love the Generation of Miracles had for each other, love that has been tempered by unfailing respect, loyalty and passion. The strength of their bond was palpable in their unconscious actions towards each other, and the warm pulsing thrum in their touches. During those fleeting moments, he saw intimacy that rivaled the warmth of a small sun, lingering touches that held a thousand quiet, loving whispers and glances filled with a bone-deep understanding of one another. What he saw was so familiar that it struck him with a tingling feeling of warm nostalgia.

Hyuga recognized it for what it was: an impenetrable but breath-taking bond. A bond that was so similar it was like looking in the mirror but at the same time, it also felt so alien and consuming. He could not believe how nobody else could see how much they loved one another, but he understood because love and happiness in a bond was so foreign in this society that only people who have experienced it before recognize it for what it is. The thought struck a painful chord in his mind; he fisted his hands and felt his nails dig into his palms.

The thought of living in a world where his love and his bond has to be hidden in fear of retaliation is unbearable. Hyuga could not do it anymore. He wanted to be able to taste freedom without constant fear of repression and he knew he could not watch it happen to another person again. Watch it happen to someone like him.

Hyuga ran a hand through his hair and fished his phone out of his pockets. He absentmindedly dialed the number that he knew like the back of his hand.

"Yes...I met them."

Hyuga paused in his abrupt statement to collect his jumbled thoughts.

"It's as you suspected, they are bond mates, and yes, I think they will be great allies to have Teppei."


	17. Chapter 17

The letter emblazoned with the seal of the Supreme Council sat mockingly against the dark brown grains of the oak desk. The red wax seal had been peeled back haphazardly and there were rough crinkles on the pristine envelope from distressed, restless fingers that gripped too hard. Next to the letter sat a knife; innocuous and plain except for the near invisible symbol engraved on the hilt. The engraved symbol was a symbol that could be mistaken as part of the knife's unique design to the casual observer, but to knowledgeable eyes it represented one of the most notorious clans: the Akashi family. There was a distinct clang of a metal tip against the smooth surface of the desk before a hand reached forwards to grip the knife and slam it through the open letter. Nobody moved in the ensuing silence until it was broken by unsteady, staccato breaths.

Akashi stood behind the desk with such rage, it was terrifying to see. Akashi's grip on the knife did not relax nor did it wane, and in that moment Kuroko saw the cold-hearted killer Akashi could be. Kuroko lifted his head and looked around at others in the room to see if they were as affected by Akashi's anger as he was. Unsurprisingly, all his bondmates were faring no better. Their bodies were coiled tightly and the tsunami wave of rage and frustration sweeping through the bond was staggering. Kuroko felt like his mind was one molten puddle of pure anger. The anger felt monstrous and he felt like his quiet mind was tearing under the weight of such an unrestrained, destructive force. Kuroko felt his palms sweating, his heart rate increased till it felt like it was going to rupture, his breaths came out in erratic pants and the red haze that descended on his vision left him feeling like he was going to pass out. He must have made a pained sound because the crawling consuming anger permeating his mind suddenly abated to a dull hum of anger. When Kuroko looked up, Akashi's eyes met his. In those eyes Kuroko saw emotion that was so raw it darkened Akashi's striking eyes to a dark, stormy crimson. However, the cold, hard look in Akashi's eyes softened when he saw Kuroko flinch.

Silently, Akashi reached over the desk and placed a gentle hand on his cheek, and he felt his heart warm at the implicit apology conveyed in that touch. Kuroko didn't need to say anything because he knew that Akashi could feel his acceptance and forgiveness humming through the bond. The silence in the room became less fraught with tension and stifling anger, instead it settled into the calm stillness found in the middle of the eye of a hurricane.

"What's wrong?...I-Is it..?" The words tumbled out of his mouth and his mind was too full of questions, worry and anxiety to say anymore, but Akashi seemed to understand what he wanted to say.

"It was an invitation from the Supreme Court."

Akashi tore his eyes from the pages, "We were invited to an official council hearing."

"Invited...? Wha- why? We don't have any seats in the Supreme Council..." Kise's puzzled eyes met Akashi's but before Akashi could reply, Midorima voiced his thoughts.

"It's a display."

Crimson eyes shone with approval and Akashi started to elaborate on Midorima's explanation.

"A display for anyone who disobeys the laws they set. That is why we can not refuse this invitation."

"We don't know what will happen or what the outcome will be, but if we don't attend it  _will_  be taken as insult to the High Lord and the Supreme Council. We will be seen as a disgrace to our family names and sent to jail for treason. We have  _no_  other choice." Akashi's eyes were glued on the invitations spread out on the desk with rapt attention and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

Akashi looked up, caught their eyes and whispered "Be careful. I-I don't know what I'll do if something happened-...If anything happened-"

The plea fell from his lips so fast it was barely coherent, but the hand that gently reached towards Akashi indicated that, the fear and uncontrollable urge to hide away the only people worth saving, was mutual.

Aomine met Akashi's hard, unyielding stare head on and whispered back, "Promise us. Promise  _me_  that we won't lose you. Promise us that you will think about yourself too."

Akashi squeezed the warm hand encompassing his in a silent promise.

Losing was not an option. They were not fighting for themselves anymore. They were fighting for the people that made up their world, from the moment they found each other  _losing was never an option_.

* * *

The rumbling purr of the car drowned out the nervous tapping of Kise's fingers. Kise was too tense and anxious to sit still, his mind was running in circles like an overwound spring and he felt like he was going to throw up. He startled when he felt warmth engulf his hand. Fever bright amber eyes met dark violet ones.

"Ki-chin…" The sound of Murasakibara's fond voice snapped him out of the anxious void his mind was in.

Murasakibara held out his snack in a silent offer of comfort. Kise popped a piece of candy into his mouth and the flavour of strawberries lingering like a caress on his tongue made him smile. He gripped Murasakibara's hands in gratitude and was rewarded with smiling eyes and a feather-light kiss on his knuckles.

Kise mouthed a silent 'thank you' and turned to focus on the discussion before him. Akashi was sitting next to Midorima deep in thought, whilst Aomine was animatedly talking to Midorima. The sharp and angry gestures were accentuated by the tense lines of Aomine's shoulders.

"- This is a  _damn_  trap! They want to demonstrate something. We can't just allow them to walk all over us like-", Aomine's aggravated rant was cut off by Akashi's unexpected interruption.

"Daiki, there's nothing we can do now. We  _have to_  wait."

Akashi's voice slowly trailed off and the chess piece in his hands clinked ominously against  the arm rest. "Now...we can only afford to defend our most vulnerable pieces,  _but_  when all the pieces are ready we  _will_ destroy them,"

The statement was met with a wave of morbid satisfaction and bloodthirsty determination from the bond and Akashi smirked. They all had such different experiences that helped mold them into the people they are today, but it was amazing how their thoughts were still so similar, it must be why they were destined to become bondmates.

"It was the right decision to leave Kuroko behind," Midorima softly stated.

"Protecting each other is the most important priority and it will always be the most important priority," was Akashi's blunt almost-angry comment.

They didn't take any offense to Akashi's tone because, as the car rounded the corner and came to a stop at the looming Council building, they knew that it was the mask that Akashi doned when he faced the outside world.

Before the door opened, they all gave each other one last look, stepped out and was promptly greeted and escorted to the Meeting Hall by a pair of soldiers. Walking down the empty corridors was a tense and nerve-wracking affair and the absence of people milling about made it seem lifeless. The presence of the soldiers did not help dissipate the feeling of wrongness in the air, instead it created a clogging, suffocating atmosphere that drowned the mind. When they arrived at the doors of the Meeting Hall the soft chatters of voices muffled by the thick mahogany doors indicated how large the event was, and as they entered the sheer number of people there was so large it froze Midorima and Kise in their tracks for a millisecond before they managed to collect themselves. The soldiers that escorted them gave them a sharp salute and then bowed before turning and surreptitiously leaving them amongst the milling crowds of Superiors.

"I feel  _dirty_  just standing here with all these sleazy and privileged  _idiots_." Kise couldn't help chuckling at Aomine's barely audible mutter before they found a spot to occupy.

Kise was glad that they found a hidden spot outside the balconies where they could observe how the Council Members mingled with each other while staying away from the crowd as much as possible. Socializing and schmoozing with the rich, powerful and corrupt was something he needed to do to create his current reputation and position in the entertainment industry, but Kise was sick to the stomach at the thought of having to force himself into that facade again.  _If choices were easy…_ Kise sighed at the thought but he was snapped out of his musings when the heavy doors opened with a reverberating bang.

A pair of soldiers walked in and in between them was Seto Kentaro.The man had a genial smile and a calm, settled expression on his face but the malicious smug glint in his eyes created a subtle dichotomy that was unnoticeable to the casual observer; However they all saw it for what it was. A veiled threat. Kise saw the comprehension in the constant fast-as-lightning reactions in his bondmates’ body language and expressions, and he knew that this was going to be a very tough event to last through.

  
As Seto Kentaro passed by to take the main seat at the dais, he turned and Kise felt the full force of a thousand tonnes of pressure in that gaze pin him down, but he was not going to show that _damn_ bastard anything. He returned the gaze steadily, full of ice-cold revenge and the promise of death and smirked because he _can’t erase_ the image of Akashi’s wrist branded with angry bruises and the pain and fear in Kuroko’s body as he held him. He can’t forget the tortured feeling of helplessness that flooded the bond until there was nothing but a cold heavy ball of misery in their minds. He will never forgive the bastard for the pain his bondmates have suffered. He will gladly make him _pay_.

* * *

"Welcome to the Supreme Council. Today we are honoured to welcome our new guests whom have so graciously accepted to join us for this Council meeting", Seto Kentaro's voice rung like a bell in the silence of the room.

The polite applause was accompanied by wandering eyes and the Generation of Miracles found themselves in the center of the council's harsh scrutiny. They did not let the judgmental gazes faze them, and in synchrony they all placed their left hands on their chests and inclined their heads in a traditional respectful bow that seemed rehearsed, when instead it unashamedly portrayed that their loyalty stayed with each other. A few heads scrutinizing them quickly turned away whilst some eyes turned hard and flinty in anger. They seemed to have dissuaded any council members who were eager to separate them with lies and illusions, and managed to anger the rest of the Council members with their defiance, but the sound of a gavel snapped everyone's attention back to the most prominent person on the dias. Seto Kentaro placed the gavel down and gestured towards his left where a man in his late forties with black hair speckled with grey sat.

Akashi recognized the man immediately, and he gave Kise a knowing glance from the corner of his eyes.

 _Eiji Sirogane_...He was familiar with the man's legendary reputation and the near-impossible feats he had accomplished. Eiji Shirogane's cold personality and efficiency is something that he had to be extremely wary off, and a thrum from the bond showed his bondmates' agreement.

"The recent reports from various Council members indicated an alarming rise of rebellions in each city. From our estimations the leading faction of rebels- the Uncrowned Kings- have reached 50,000 members over the past 3 years despite the Supreme Council's best efforts to subdue them."

Eiji Shirogane turned his hard icy stare away from the reports in front of him to meet everybody's eyes in a sweeping look.

"More aggressive actions will be taken to neutralize the threat. We must not show mercy or leniency to Inferiors or their sympathizers. Therefore, the Segregation Division will be taking command of all military forces. They will have the highest jurisdiction in all legal matters, under the direct command of the High Lord."

As those words registered Akashi felt the bond buckle in anger and fear. Fear for everyone they love, fear for each other and fear of having to live in this oppressed world for a lifetime, but as fast as the fear came on the heels of that dreaded decree, a cold simmering anger trailed behind those words in even faster speeds, and it left the bond tinged with scalpel-like precision, razor sharp determination and a bitter aftertaste of desperation.

"Seto Kentaro, the right hand man of the High Lord and leader of the Segregation division will address any further doubts you have." Eiji Shirogane inclined his head in respect before gesturing to the man in question.

"Thank you, Mr Shirogane. The position I have been awarded today is very humbling and I will do everything I can to ensure that we will prevail against  _them_ " Seto Kentaro's supplicating tone suddenly turned disgusted "...against the inferior race, the  _things_  that can barely be called human."

"I assure you that as the Superior race, we have nothing to fear because we are born with bodies that are immune to most diseases, minds that surpass genius levels of intelligence and bodies that are constantly at peak performance. We are the ultimate beings, the ultimate human machines; There is no place for the weak. Their purpose in life is to be our pawns and property. Nothing more.  _Rest assured, my fellow people, they will never surpass us!_ "

The speech was met with an outburst of passionate applause that shook the tables and the walls. The applause abruptly died down when Seto Kentaro raised a hand.

"Therefore, today I have arranged  _a special trial_  for all members of this Supreme Council as a symbol of the promise I've made." A pregnant pause punctuated the ominous words, and the oily but sweet tone infused in the next few words made Midorima's and Kise's stomachs drop in dread.

"Call it a sign of good faith.  _My sign of good faith_  to all Superiors," with this he held up a hand, signaled to the soldiers standing near the entrance and barely a second later the doors slammed open with a bang, revealing a platoon of soldiers decked out in full combat gear.

Among the fifteen soldiers were two people in shackles with chains from the neck, wrists and ankles linked together to form interconnected restraints. On their heads were bags that concealed their identities, both were visibly shaking in abject fear and not even an inch of their skin was visible under the thick filthy layer of dirt, grime and rusty blood they were caked in. It was a grim sight, and the reason why these two were here was clear to everybody present.

The only division that were allowed to oversee the justice system was the Segregation division. They were the group that practically ran all the government agencies; a division with fingers in every pie. They were the silent puppeteers, the people working behind the curtains under the beck and call of the High Lord, and everybody knew this. Today's announcement of Seto Kentaro's close-knit group was a formal PR stunt. There was no such thing as free autonomy in the public sector, and today's Council Meating was a stark reminder to everybody- in any noticeable positions of power and influence- the stakes of disobedience.

Those poor souls they brought in were nothing but disposable pawns for the power-hungry. Akashi knew that his bondmates were all aware that this demonstration was not a fair trial, itwas the furthest thing from lawful. He can't help but feel that this demonstration was directed at them and any other opposing Council Members.

Akashi took a imperceptible breath to steel his defenses, there was nothing he could do except watch as the soldiers lead the prisoners to the large bullet proof glass dome that rose from under the floor in middle of the room. The rising platform was secured and checked before the soldiers opened the door, led the prisoners in and attached their chains to the link on the floor in the center of the dome.

"You have been brought here today because you have broken the law and courted treason. Your carelessness have cost you everything, and the degree of punishment is fitting for your crime against the High lord and the Council." Seto Kentaro gestured to the soldiers standing inside the dome to remove the gags and head bags so they could answer his next question.

"What is your defense?"

Aomine jerked when the prisoners' face was revealed because it was so familiar to him. Before he realized it, he was looking at sky-blue hair in tumbling wavy curls and eyes that were like looking into the sea on a clear spring day. He was looking at a woman who was beautiful and breathtaking like a porcelain doll and a man who had black hair, sky blue eyes and a mouth that was so similar to ones he had kissed before.

**_Oh god_ **

The only thing keeping on his seat was Murasakibara's hand clamped on his arm. Through the overwhelming feelings of horror and shock, the small trembles from the hand on his arm snapped him out of his stupor, and he pulled his arm out of that shaking hold and gripped his bondmate's hand in comfort. Aomine glanced from the corners of his eyes to check on Akashi, Midorima and Kise, and saw that they were more collected than he and Murasakibara was but he could feel the roiling horror and dread from their minds.

He thought that today was going to be bad but nothing could have prepared him for  _this_.  _For seeing Tetsu's parents...like this_. There was nothing he could do except sit and listen. If he reacted in any way he knew that they would condemn Testu to the same fate. With a mind clamped tightly in desperation he watched helplessly as Kuroko's father spoke,

"My lord, please...release me! I have been your loyal servant since the day I was brought into your service. I would never betray you, My Lord!"

"The Council acknowledges the contributions you have made, but we cannot overlook your status any longer."

"St-Status...? I'm a Superior, there's nothing wrong with my status!"

"We are aware of what you are, but what you are is not the problem, Mr Kuroko. The problem is that the bond that you have to  _that_  Inferior is not recognized as legal." The venom in Seto Kentaro's voice was punctuated by a sweeping hand towards the demure, shaking woman kneeling at Kuroko's father's side.

"We have long protected you from prosecution because we believed you could control your family. We believed that you were a valuable asset, but you have betrayed that trust!"

A hand slamming down on the desk accentuated the indignant fury in Seto Kentaro's voice, making the man seem like he was carrying the force of a thousand hurricanes.

"You and your family have betrayed our trust by allowing your children to leave the Council's service. As the Superior responsible for keeping the Inferiors of your family in line, this blunder is utterly unacceptable!"

Seto Kentaro stood up abruptly in anger before turning his burning gaze to meet the all the eyes in the room, "Your actions are treason against the Supreme directive and the High Lord, therefore you shall now be sentenced to  _death_."

In the ensuing silence of the room, there wasn't even a sound or a movement. It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop, and the tension and fear was so palpable a knife could have sliced through it.

Nobody moved until a scream shattered the silence into a thousand pieces, rendering the air into a living breathing shadow of pain and hatred. The hysterical scream turned into a sobbing laugh, and in the middle of the glass dome Kuroko's mother was hunched over, shoulders shaking uncontrollably and chest heaving with gasping laughter. Sky blue eyes on a face streaked with tears looked up to meet all the eyes outside the glass dome.

The hatred and disgust in that gaze froze everyone in their tracks. That gaze was not a look that belonged to a human, it belonged to someone who had been oppressed for  _far too long_...It belonged to someone who lived and breathed desperation, someone who had nothing left to lose because they never had anything to begin with; it was the gaze of someone who had lost their sanity to the void of pain and suffering inflicted on them.

With a dark smile filled with nothing but hatred and disgust, she spat, "You think I am afraid of death!"

She shook her head and giggled, blue hair flying like a stormy streak of righteous anger and eyes hard and flinty. Her porcelain doll-like beauty melted into a wild, goddess-like beauty that seemed lethal and ethereal.

"You have no idea what you have created, DO YOU?!" She scoffed before her voice turned into an venomous whisper. " _You have created monsters, and when we rise there will be nothing but destruction_!"

The whisper was soft but in the silence of the room it rang like an ominous bell of death. The words carried a forbidding ring of a prophecy that struck fear in everybody in the room. No one was immune to the instinctive fear it struck in their hearts.

But a shriek of wood against wood broke the echoing silence that the words brought, and all the attention turned to the figure that stood up in rage. Without a word Seto Kentaro stormed from the dais towards the glass dome, opened the door and stepped inside. Burning sky blue eyes met the Councilor's gaze in defiance.

"I am not afraid of what you can do to me!" Her bitter eyes glanced at the man by her side, "Destiny abandoned me when it gave me  _that filthy, useless scumbag_  for a mate. I am glad that my son escaped this life, I have nothing left to fight for  _so I invite you to do your worst_ \- !"

Her words were cut off by a resounding  _ **bang**_  and before anyone could register the shot, another one rang out, followed by two thuds hitting the ground. On the glass wall of the the dome, there was a large splatter of blood dripping down in parody of a macabre painting, and on the floor two bodies lay unmoving and lifeless.

There was a click of a gun before Seto Kentaro left the dome, turned around and handed the rifle back to a soldier standing outside the dome. He returned to the dais before ending the meeting with an explicit threat.

"This meeting is now over! _"_

" _..._ _ **But**_   _ **make no mistake**_ _if anyone dares to defy the Supreme directive, swift action and force will be taken to neutralize the threat no matter what their status is. Nobody will be left unpunished!"_


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WAIT! I'm so sorry everybody! Please don't hurt me(*EEP! Ducks flying projectiles*)...  
> Yeah...I know that there was no excuse for not delivering to you amazing people, so I come with a peace offering... Here is the long overdue chapter you have been waiting for. Thank you for your patience, kudos, and touching reviews /comments. Anywho...I hope you enjoy this chapter and it meets your expectations. :-D
> 
> Love,   
> Aydsa
> 
> ******************************************  
> (Please be careful if these trigger you: suicidal thoughts, depression and gore)

Wrapping an arm around his waist Kuroko stumbled along a deserted alleyway, barely able to keep himself from breaking down into a sobbing ball of grief, right then and there. The only thing that kept him going was sheer force of will.

Kuroko’s knees were shaking so badly it was a surprise he could stand at all, let alone walk, but his steps were as quiet as a ghost. His body remembered the training beaten into him like a second skin whilst his heart was delirious with bone-soaking numbness.

His body remembered how to walk silently like a ghost, how to efficiently disarm and take someone out and how to sneak into anyplace undetected, so he soon found himself hidden behind a large garbage bin on an alleyway a block away from the Council’s Headquarters.

Kuroko curled up and hugged his legs to his chest, with his face pressed painfully against his bony knees and arms curled around them as if his body was in agonizing physical pain.

The pain squeezing his heart could not have been physical pain, because he was sure that physical pain did not feel as though your heart was being ripped out of your chest. His breaths came out like puffs of panic, coiling low and insidious in the air and the shivers that wracked his frame was alive and unpredictable like lightning. Kuroko felt the bile bubbling under his throat slowly crawling up his throat, choking his voice and making his sobs sound like choked off screams. He wanted to squeeze his eyes shut, to shut down just for one moment and not have to feel anything, but every time he closed his eyes he saw their blood staining the glass walls like a macabre painting, chunky blobs of brain matter covering the floor like water and two thuds hitting the ground like a sack of potatoes. Behind his eyelids, the grotesque scene of his parents’ murder was played over and over again in a never-ending loop, and no matter what he did to escape the memory, it was futile.

His emotions were a chaotic, writhing mess of grief, pain and guilt. He knew that he did not have much of a familial relationship with his parents. Left from young to mostly fend for himself Kuroko grew to depend only one person- himself- and the hatred his father bore for Kuroko made him a perfect scapegoat for his father to vent on.

Kuroko only remembered that his mother gently hugged him exactly four times in his life. The first time when he was three and he scraped his knees running down the stairs. The second time was when he was five and he got hurt standing in between her and his father. The third time was when he started elementary school the first time, and the last time was when he started high school. His father, on the other hand, never gave him the time of day -unless it was to cause pain- and he was so used to their relationship working this way that it never really bothered him.

But no matter how distant they were to him, no matter how agonising they made his life...Kuroko never wanted **_this_** to happen to them. The wave of relief that followed the grief made the feeling of self-loathing and guilt rise like an avenging ghost, and it tore through his heart like paper. He was supposed to be there too; shackled to the floor of the Council’s hall like a dog waiting to be executed, but he wasn’t, and now he was the only one left. The only survivor- an orphan living on borrowed time.

That thought alone broke the tenuous grip he had on his sanity, and before Kuroko knew it, he was huddling on the ground with hands gripping his hair.

He did not know what brought him out of his mind. Maybe it was the solid warmth that enveloped him, maybe it was the soothing strokes along his spine or maybe it was the low, curling matra of “Hey- _shh_... It’s gonna be ok-It’s alright, we’re here-...come on now… _shh_ -” that pulled him out of the bleak place his mind had sunk into.

Kuroko gasped and blindly patted along the arms that held him to a familiar chest. His throat and eyes were so swollen from crying, he could barely make a sound or open his eyes. He must have groaned in distress because the next thing he knew, there was a warm wet towel draped across his swollen eyes and a straw against his lips.

Midorima’s voice was soft and pain-filled, but relieved, “ _Shh_...Here, drink this. It will help with the swelling.”

“Wha-” Kuroko’s voice broke off with a croak. He had to lightly clear his throat before he could continue. “Wh-What happened?...How did you find me?”

The warmth wrapped around Kuroko shifted and he felt a chin rest against the crown of head. Without even realizing it, he felt his body sink into Murasakibara’s giant, enveloping presence, automatically seeking the comfort it offered.

The hands wrapped around his squeezed painfully tight, and Kise’s usually cheerful voice was warbling on the verge of tears when he said “We-we all thought the worse when our connection to Kurokocchi went silent.”  
  
Aomine’s explosive, prickling anger followed Kise’s words.

“Testu!- YOU-you idiot! you snuck into a place teeming with Superiors who wouldn’t even hesitate to hurt you! To take you away from us! Do you think of us so lightly?! Do you not care for us Testu?!-”

Kuroko gasped, scrambled upwards, desperately reaching out a hand towards Aomine.

 **No!** Kuroko’s mind screamed in denial and he felt like he was going to work himself to the verge of hyperventilation but the hand that cupped his cheek put a stop to it.

Akashi’s stern voice broke through the tense atmosphere like a guillotine, “Daiki!”

“We all need to calm down! This was not solely Tetsuya’s fault, we can’t expect him to sit there and do nothing.”

The solemn note in Akashi’s voice turned fond. “He wanted to protect us too. That’s why you followed us, isn’t it Testuya?”

Kuroko ducked his head and nodded, relief flooding him. He never wanted them to think that he didn’t care; he just wanted to protect them like they selflessly do for him. If Kuroko couldn’t even help them, protect them then he wouldn’t be doing his love for them justice.

There was a loud sigh and a snort of frustration in front of him before he felt Aomine apologetically ruffle his hair.

“Sorry for shouting at you, Tetsu. I was a bit shaken up from the Council Meeting.” Then Aomine’s voice dropped to a aching whisper and Kuroko felt himself roughly pulled into another set of arms.

“Tetsu... _I’m so so sorry_...We couldn’t do anything... _Your parents_ -”

Kuroko pushed harshly against Aomine, but the arms that surrounded didn’t let up. Balled fists hit Aomine’s chest but there wasn’t even a smallest sound of pain from his bondmate. **Why why-why wasn’t it him- It’s not fair- Why are things always taken from him- Couldn’t he have have something without fearing it would be taken away for once!-**

Kuroko didn’t realize he said all that out loud until he heard a choked sob. Blearily, Kuroko lifted his face up from where his cries were muffled against Aomine’s chest, and saw tears trailing down Kise’s face.

“Kuro-Kurokocchi-..”

The pain Kuroko saw on his bondmates’ faces made him realize that they were hurting too. That it wasn’t only him. That they were hurting for him. With him.

The warmth in his heart throbbed, and he offered Kise a small, teary smile. The pain in his chest felt like a gushing wound but the wobbly smile Kuroko got back from Kise, and the way Murasakibara’s and Aomine’s desperately held him, made the fresh pain in his heart feel like an nearly-scabbed-over scar instead of a gushing wound.

Kuroko’s voice was nearly completely muffled by the fabric of Aomine’s shirt, but Midorima could still hear him anyway, “C-Can we leave now? _Please_?”

Midorima’s voice was an earnest whisper in reply, “Yes, whenever you’re ready."

* * *

 

The road they were taking had no one in sight. It was a rarely used path littered with leaves and small debris. The trees overhead had thick, long-reaching branches that blocked the sun, and the wild rustling sounds of the wind running through them was a soothing caress on the ears. The vibrant green of the leaves reminded Murasakibara of the mesmerizing swirls of colour on a lollipop and the bold, unapologetic shade on a gummy bear. The tension sizzling through his body slowly fizzled down the further they drove away from the Council’s headquarters, and at the hypnotic sight of falling leaves.

Murasakibara sighed, turned around and a small, fond smile graced his lips at the sight of Midorima’s head pillowed on his shoulder. Gently, he raised his hand and brushed away the stray strands.

The intensity of all the events tired them all out, but for Midorima it must have been more taxing. Kise was a natural born actor: a chameleon whose career focused on him being able to adapt and change his behaviour to fit different environments. Akashi was raised on the principles of self-control, strength and a razor-like intelligence, while Aomine grew to be brash and gruff but sincere to his emotions: a fighter with a deep infinite well of inner strength. Kuroko was raised to be a survivor, desperate for love and affection but independent, with a strength born from a harsh, jaded view of the world. Midorima, on the other hand, was different from them. The cold and slightly distant personality came from shyness and a soft but calm heart wrapped up in a smart, stoic exterior. Therefore, keeping his personality and reactions wrapped up was harder and more taxing for Midorima. Absentmindedly, Murasakibara stuck a marshmallow in his mouth and morosely chewed on it.

The thought of his bondmates suffering more of this was unbearable; it had his mind on edge and set his teeth grinding. The roiling, twinging mass of pain in his chest skyrocketed when Murasakibara glanced sideways and caught Kuroko’s curled up body slumped against Kise.

It took him a while to find his voice, but when he did, it was flat and simmering with suppressed anger.

“Ki-chin, how are you and Kuro-chin doing.”

Akashi must have heard the anger in his voice, because his voice reflected the same muted rage.

“We’ll get them, Atsushi. For every hurt they cause I will repay it a thousand-fold.”

“I agree, Akashicchi.” The dark, bitter smile on Kise’s face was as biting as ice, however a second later it melted into a small, reassuring smile for their violet-haired giant.

“Don’t worry. I’m feeling better Murasakibaracchi,” Then the sentence trailed off into a glum whisper, “but Kurokocchi is still hurting so much…”

“That's why we're leaving to Aka-chin’s safe house.”

Akashi’s gave a small chuckle at Kise’s surprise. “What?! We are?!”

Murasakibara hummed enigmatically at the glance Akashi gave him, “I’m not surprised you figured it out already Atsushi.”

Akashi turned around to explain to Aomine and Kise, “What Atsushi said is right, we are going to one of my safe houses. I inherited it from my father before he passed away and all the records are completely sealed off. Only I can access them, so no one will be able to find out its existence or location. We’re as safe as we can be here.”

Aomine's only comment to that was “That's good. We all need a _damn_ break.”

* * *

They arrived at...a mansion.

That was the only word Kuroko could use to describe the building in front of him. The lawn spreading several yards ahead was lush and green, running wild with messy bushes and massive, gangly trees. The walls of the mansion looked worn down but not broken or cracked. It looked surprisingly well maintained for such an old building. The sheer size of the place was intimidating and Kuroko soon found himself apprehensive.

He ducked his head and the sight of his ratty sneakers -so worn in was nearly threadbare, with multiple holes littered across it- made him even more aware of the state of his appearance. Self-consciously he tugged the hem of his jacket down to cover the hole he forgot to sow up on his shirt and nervously gripped the strap of his backpack. All the meager belongings he owned were in there and he couldn't help but feel possessive of them.

A palm sized porcelain figure of a goldfish was thrust into his sight, and the utterly ridiculous, randomness of it made him forget about his nervousness and he gave a quiet laugh. When Kuroko looked up and met Midorima’s dark emerald eyes, they were full of understanding.

Although Midorima’s cheeks were stained a light lovely pink, the arm that encircled Kuroko's waist was confident and grounding; it gave him the strength to shyly lift his head and walk inside.

Instantly he was met with the sight of a large, grand staircase garnished with wooden railings intricately engraved with the Akashi family crest. On each side of the spacious room, marble pillars supported the walls and an ethereal, glass chandelier adorned the center of the ceiling. It was so breath-taking he couldn't keep his eyes from wandering. Before he knew it, they had passed through countless hallways and arrived at a large bedroom.

Kuroko was guided into the middle of the room, where the largest bed he had ever encountered, was situated, and before he could do anything, his wrist was grabbed and he was pulled backwards by an exuberant Kise.

“Kurokocchi, Kurokocchi, kurokocchi! Look at this bed! Can you believe this is our room?!”

“I love it! Oh my god Akashicchi, you're amazing!” The amount of bouncing by Kise was amazing...But yes Kuroko thought. This was truly an astounding room. The decorations weren't ostentatious at all, instead they were minimalistic, and the sight of how simple everything was made him relax against the fluffy bed.

Akashi smiled at Kise's antics and stood up to open the door when there was a knock.

A man dressed in a crisp black suit came in with a tray of food, and set it on the table near the window. Then before he left, he gave Akashi a low bow.

“Who was that, Akashi?”

Akashi gave Aomine an appraising nod for his cautious attitude. “One of the people who work here, protect this place and maintain it.”

“They all Inferiors? Or are there also Superiors working here?”

“Both. For years, I have been offering this place as a shelter of sorts… Mostly to refugees. The people who don't conform to society's laws. In return for my protection, they willingly choose to work under me and help protect this place, their home, too.”

“Of course, anyone coming in or out of this place are thoroughly inspected and vetted, so don't worry.”

Kise smirked and exclaimed, “Oh, nobody's worried. We all know it's probably fool proof and that there isn't even a chance for error.”

“Thank you for your illuminating commentary Ryouta, but now we have to contact Satsuki and inform her of the new developments.”

“Seijuro, I'll do it with Kise.” Midorima offered.

Akashi gave Midorima a nod and turned around to leave, but before he left Akashi said, “Very well. I have things to attend to. I’ll be back later.”

The sight of Akashi...just leaving...like that filled Kuroko with an inexplicable rush of dread and desperation, so without warning he blurted out: “You’ll be be back right, Akashi-kun?”

The sight of Akashi immediately freezing filled Kuroko with dread. Maybe he blurted out too much; maybe he was too clingy-sounding and he was just inconveniencing people by being so insecure. However, Akashi’s reply was not angry or frustrated or _pissed._

It was affectionate.

“Don't wait up. Go to bed first. I'll join you all when I'm done.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Trigger warnings: violence and fights. Please read at your own discretion!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait wait! Oh my goshhh... *eeps* please forgive your absent-minded, disappointing, unorganized author?
> 
> Real-life hit me with whammies the size of a 100 tonne boulder so...I kept having so little time to edit through the chapters I wrote and revise the drafts. Yeah...I know...excuses excuses...
> 
> But I really am sorry for posting so late and disappointing so many of you :(  
> I just hope this chapter is good enough for all you amazing muffins. 
> 
> (ps I will try my best to update more regularly... hopefully once a week?)
> 
> Thank you for being so understanding and thank you to everyone who have left Kudos, reviews/comments and followed this story!
> 
> Hugs and love,  
> Aydsa
> 
> (Reviews, kudos, etc are all amazing and motivating so leave some if you can!) <3

The minuscule, unsteady swaying underneath Kuroko was soothing and so instinctively familiar that he shifted his balance on to the balls of his feet without even having to think about it. Another gust of wind shifted his balance and Kuroko snapped out an arm and steadied himself against the trunk of the tree. He glanced up the overlaying branches and found the infrared camera carefully concealed amongst a cluster of leaves.

Kuroko leapt, grabbed onto the next branch and pulled himself up onto the base of it. As soon as he was on the branch, he maneuvered his body and reached up to grab it. The metal of the camera was pleasantly warm against the palm of his hand.

"Oi, Tetsu! Need any help up there?"

With one last sweeping glance, Kuroko gave a sharp whistle before he dropped the camera into Aomine's waiting hands. A second later he landed in front of Aomine with a soft thud. Quick as a snake, a blur grabbed Kuroko's arm and steadied him before he could even wobble.

"That seems to be the last of them… _why_ the _hell_ are there so many of these things?"

Aomine's voice trailed off incredulously. An unexpected reply from behind made Kuroko whip around in alarm until his mind registered who it was.

"Ao-chin should know why by now~. Aka-chin's very thorough in everything he does…" Their giant was leaning against a tree, with a large bulging shoulder bag slung across his right shoulder and a large bag of chips cradled in his hands.

"Uwahhh~ Did I scare you Ao-chin...Kuro-chin?"

Kuroko watched in amusement as Aomine gave a hard sigh before he moved towards a deflated, sulking Murasakibara.

"Idiot-" Aomine's reply was exasperated but fond as he reached out a hand to cup Murasakibara's cheek. "Don't sulk over something so small."

Kuroko's smile grew when he saw Murasakibara nod before shamelessly nuzzling against Aomine's palm, and Kuroko let out a choked off chuckle when Aomine's cheeks went faintly pink and his mouth dropped open in stuttered embarrassment. With a small smile directed towards Aomine, Murasakibara stepped back and started walking to where Kuroko was standing.

"Very sly of you to do that, Murasakibara-san. I think that was the first time I've seen Aomine blush…"

Kuroko gave the indigo-haired giant next to him a knowing glance. With a small smirk Murasakibara popped a chip into his mouth before he innocently mumbled "I have no idea what you're talking about Kuro-chin~"

"And stop calling me by my surname! I want Kuro-chin to call everybody by our first names."

Kuroko ducked his head when he felt his chest flutter with affection and he gave a smirking Murasakibara a nod. The arm that draped around his shoulders was a pleasant anchor against the small taints of grief that still line his every thought. No matter how much pain he suffered because of them, there was still a part of him that blamed himself for his parents' deaths. There was also a part of him that had never stopped loving them; but there was also a part of him that hated them and hated his own love for them.

Kuroko felt his heart constrict and his fingers dig painful crescent-red shapes into his palms.

It felt like he was a million pieces of shattered glass and no matter how hard he tried to glue the pieces together, his hands would always come away bathed in blood and the reflection in the jagged, haphazard pieces of glued glass was a distorted mess. Sometimes, he couldn't even recognize himself; all he could see from the glued pieces was something so twisted and vile that he would not be surprised if there was no salvation for the cowardly monster he was inside.

A gentle squeeze from Murasakibara indicated that his bond mate had guessed the thoughts that were overwhelming his mind. A soothing hum permeated his thoughts and Kuroko felt tension leave his limbs.

The feeling of comfort was so strong Kuroko unconsciously sunk against the solid warmth of Murasakibara's body. All the grief and throbbing pain were still there, but its sharp edges were dulled into something bearable. Something that didn't make him feel like he was choking on glass.

* * *

There was a thump and a bag full of cameras landed on the table. Akashi picked up a camera and passed it to Kise.

"Looks like it's the new released version Akashichi. I don't think there's a need to update the program."

A contemplative look came over Akashi's face. "That's good but we will still have to go ahead with installing the new sensors. The system can not have any flaws-"

"Let me handle that with Ryouta, Seijuro." Midorima interrupted the soft statement from his spot leaning against a large oak desk.

Kise gave a wide grin before plastering himself against Midorima. "Yep Akashichi~ Just rest and let us handle it before you fall flat from exhaustion~"

The teasing tone was met with exasperated but fond glares from Akashi and Aomine before Akashi sighed.

"I'll leave it to the two of you then, but the matter of patrol partners and rotations still need to be handled-"

"I will handle it, Sei."

Akashi sighed at Aomine's sudden interruption before giving all his bond mates a reluctant nod.

"Shin? Tetsu?" Midorima glanced up, pocketed his phone and nodded.

"We'll take the first shift tonight."

Aomine's relieved smile was a balm against the weariness they all felt. "Thanks guys. I'll organize the rest of the security patrols and make sure the surveillance around the mansion's as fool-proof as possible."

"And I'll be helping Aominecchi!" Kise's enthusiastic reply brought a small, fond smile to Akashi's face. Sometimes Akashi, himself, forgot that Kise could be as perceptive as him.

"Idiot! You haven't rested yet! Let other people handle it-"

Kise flung himself at Aomine with a dramatic wail. "AOMINECCHI! Are you saying that I'm incompetent-How can you say-!"

"Oi! -Hey!-"

Aomine's affronted yelp followed by their bickering voices soothed the last tendrils of anxiousness and tension in the atmosphere. There were fond smiles and chuckles all around, and Midorima couldn't help giving a small exasperated shake of his head at Kise's antics.

Midorima met Akashi's eyes and gave his bondmate a small smile and nod, before he turned around and stopped in front of Kuroko. Midorima adjusted his glasses, before softly saying "Let's go and prepare for our patrol tonight, Tetsuya."

Kuroko met Midorima's deep forest-green eyes, reached out and gently took his hand. The familiar feel of bandages and long slender fingers made his heart flutter, and Kuroko couldn't help giving his blushing bond-mate's hand a small squeeze before gently tugging Midorima out the door.

* * *

The light that streamed through the open crack of their door was a soft tint of moonlight-blue that illuminated the bed just enough for the shapes of his bondmates' bodies to be visible. Kuroko slowly pushed himself from the headboard and with silent feet he padded towards Midorima's silhouette. The soft snick of a knife and pings of metal weapons met his ears.

Without hesitation or fear, Kuroko lent forward and picked up a knife from the large collection of guns, knives and weapons strewn across the table. His bondmate barely blinked or jumped at his sudden appearance, Midorima just grabbed a SIG Sauer with an attached silencer and tucked it into Kuroko's thigh holster before running his hands over Kuroko's kevlar vest and rechecking the straps. Kuroko gave Midorima a fond glance before he reached up and did the same.

Satisfied with Midorima's gear, Kuroko settled back on his heels and activated the night vision on his visor glasses. But before he turned to head outside, Midorima caught his arm and a warm, slender hand was laid against the pulse of his neck.

"Be careful and don't strain yourself too much, Tetsuya. Your injury hasn't healed completely yet."

Kuroko nodded and turned so his lips brushed a chaste kiss against Midorima's wrist.

"Please be careful too, Midori-" Kuroko paused: his bond-mate's name stuck in his throat. He could feel the blush on his cheeks but he pushed through the bubbling feeling of embarrassment to mumble out a shy, uncertain: "S-Shintaro-"

When he peeked from underneath his lashes, Midorima's cheeks were dusted slightly red with a blinding, unrestrained smile. It was beautiful and breath-taking, and Kuroko couldn't help the blush that heated his cheeks. He ducked his eyes down because his chest was quivering with so much love; it stole his breath away.

The feeling of a finger tipping his chin up snapped him out of a daze, before warm, slight chapped lips met his. Midorima's hand moved and Kuroko felt fingers run through his hair before cupping the back of his head. The feeling of fingers in his hair and warm lips made him melt, and Kuroko couldn't stop the whimper-moan from leaving his lips. The kiss sent a hot shiver through his body and before Kuroko's mind could short-circuit, Midorima pulled back. With a small smirk Midorima left one last loving peck on Kuroko's lips.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me." Was Midorima's whisper-quiet murmur. The hand in Kuroko's hair slowly trailed downwards and caressed his cheek before it enveloped his hand in a steady but gentle grip.

"We'll check in with the patrol we'll be replacing in a few minutes first, then we'll canvas the area and familiarize ourselves with all the exits and entrances."

Kuroko nodded and took a breath to settle the embarrassment decorating his cheeks. With one last glance towards his slumbering mates, he closed the door with a near-silent snick and watched as the automatic locks engaged, keeping the door securely locked and _everything inside safe_.

Kuroko turned around and met Midorima's eyes briefly to settle the brewing tingles of anxiety dancing along the bond. There was a gentle hum of - _loveaffectionwarmth-_ from Midorima that melted the small live-wire tension running through his veins. Kuroko shot his mate a grateful smile.

The route they had to patrol was the longest route. It was a route that covered every nook and cranny of the mansion; it covered the most important rooms and areas like their floor and the dining hall. Kuroko remembered how frantically Akashi worked and coordinated with the few refugees he personally provided sanctuary for, to make sure the security was as impenetrable as it could possibly be. Akashi's mansion did not house a lot of rebels, which Kuroko found surprising until Kise explained that Akashi only allowed a small handful of people he trusted most into this mansion, because he didn't want to endanger his bondmates; the _most important_ people in his life.

That was why Akashi provided sanctuary to rebels in other safe houses all over the world with help from Midorima, Kise, Aomine, Murasakibara and other contacts. Those safe houses were maintained and run by an underground network of revolutionaries that the Generation of Miracles were apparently a part of…

Kuroko was in awe at the sheer scale of things that his bond mates have accomplished. He can't help the overwhelming bursts of pride, love and joy that blossom in his chest every time Kuroko thought about all the things his bond-mates have done to help Inferiors. To help _his people_ ; his kin.

The thoughts of his bondmates never failed to make him smile. The grief that hung over his thoughts paled in the light of his new-found optimism and delight. The spark of determination muted by the grief from his parents' execution, slowly flickered and sparked back into life.

Kuroko was determined again. Determined to live because now he didn't have only himself to think about anymore. _He had people who he had to live for._

The breath he took was like the first breath of fresh air and the fog of grief dissipated, and it felt amazing. The feeling of clarity made Kuroko's vision sharpen, and he finally was able to see the strands of the bond in his mind. The strands of the once shining bond was now a faded and dull gold. Kuroko was horrified to see that unconsciously he had been cutting off their bond until it was brittle and fading. Tentatively in his mind's eye, Kuroko reached for the bond, cupped it in his palms and held it tight to his chest. He screwed his eyes shut and poured all of his love, desperation, gratefulness, regret, grief and jubilance into the bond, and in the blink of an eye it transformed into a golden, shimmering link; stronger and more breath-taking than what it was before.

Midorima's soft inhale drew him out of his observation of the bond, and his eyes snapped up. There was a hint of shock and awe on his bond mate's face, but what made Kuroko blush was the glint of pride and love in those beautiful fern-green emerald eyes.

Kuroko felt a grin pull at his lips and opened his mouth to reply-

_**Thump!** _

but the sound of a muffled, barely audible _thump_ stopped them cold. Kuroko slowly reached down and silently removed his handgun from the holster. The cold hard metal of the gun was a comforting, familiar weight in his hand and without hesitation he flicked the safety off and quietly stalked forward. A brisk glance at Midorima revealed that his bondmate was flanking his right and diligently covering his rear.

A hum of reassurance through the bond from Midorima was the signal for Kuroko to advance forward. So, Kuroko cautiously scanned the hallway as they walked, keeping an eye for any abnormal glints or details that could indicate an intruder.

After five agonizingly slow minutes of sweeping the hallways with nothing in sight, Kuroko slowly lowered his gun and reached up to his visor glasses to report the incident, when he felt Midorima tense behind him. A hand grabbed Kuroko's arm and he was yanked back. A searing line of pain blossomed on his cheek and instinctively he pointed his gun in the direction the bullet came from -his mind already calculating the trajectory and tracing it back to the shooter- but before he could fire a shot, his bond mate had already fired off one. 

Midorima had an arm extended, his other hand was still holding Kuroko's arm and his bondmate looked like he was considering if he should fire another shot, but the millisecond-fast glint from something shiny caught Kuroko's attention and his body reacted before his mind registered what it was. Kuroko grabbed Midorima's arm and violently pulled them to the side. Kuroko broke his fall with a sharp roll and took cover behind a corner.

Kuroko tilted his head slightly and spotted Midorima in his peripheral, looking rumpled but not gravely injured. A warm thrum of acknowledgement from his forest-green haired mate comforted him, and it allowed him to focus on the shooters.

From his peripheral vision, Kuroko saw Midorima fold his palm into a fist before pumping up twice and flashing his index finger three times. Kuroko sent a sharp, monosyllabic reply through the bond.

' _Understood'_

It seems like there were two intruders and both of them were armed. Kuroko took a deep breath and tucked his SIG away, then with nimble fingers he grabbed his knives and deftly flicked them open before he settled down and waited…

_1...2...3...4...5 -_

_**Now!** _

Kuroko ducked low and flung himself forward. He used the momentum to propel himself towards the intruder sneaking up on him, and the knife in his hand glinted in the dim moonlight. The intruder dodged the arc of his swing and leapt back. Kuroko snarled, twisted his body to avoid the retaliating blade and blocked the upward arc of the blade with his wrist before striking out with his other arm.

Kuroko's blade missed the intruder's neck by inches. He struck again, lightening-fast and swept the intruder's knees in a move that was so sharp that it left the attacker no time to retaliate. There was a soft inhale, and his opponent threw himself sideways and into a roll.

Kuroko didn't let up. There was _no way_ he was letting this person go. _NO way_ he would let someone who dared break in and threaten his mates' safeties go!

Kuroko snarled and his wrist snapped out. The knife he flung with razor-sharp accuracy landed with a wet muffled thump into the shoulder of the intruder. It was a non-lethal area and judging by his opponent's grunt of pain and subsequent retreat, they were aware of the possibility of being held and tortured for information. With a burst of speed he managed to grab his opponent's wrist and in a blink of an eye, Kuroko twisted the intruder's wrist and slammed him into the wall.

One hand on the hilt of the thrown dagger jutting out of the attacker's shoulder and one hand with a knife pressed against the intruder's jugular, Kuroko barked out a furious: " _ **Who. sent. You"**_

The man in front of him went stock-still before he broke out into hysterical chuckles. Kuroko felt the rage start to bubble in his throat but before he could twist the hilt of the knife further into the bastard's shoulder, the man's voice threw his mind into panic.

"Well...well. I never expected to see you here, _senpai._ "

_That voice. That face..._

"Missed me, Kuroko-senpai?" Haizaki Shougo's smirk was as cruel as he remembered. The glint of frustration in his ex-kouhai's eyes turned malicious.

"Everybody thought you were dead. Imagine the surprise if the Supreme Council found out that one of their _missing dogs_ was consorting with filthy rebels-"

"You're as much of a dog to them as I was!", The feral snarl that left Kuroko's lips was garbled and ferocious.

The taunting, cutting smirk and return growl made the bond in Kuroko's mind thrum with electricity.

"So you finally found your bite. Before you were just a mindless mutt; their Phantom-" The vitriol that dripped from the words seeped into his mind, and threatened to drag Kuroko down into the dark abyss of pain, suffering and death.

"I'll never return to _them!_...I'm not that person anymore-" Kuroko, desperately but violently, spat out.

"Are you sure-" The words were filled with conviction and dark taunting amusement.

Desperation clawed at Kuroko's senses and insecurity started to froth in his lungs. Haizaki must have seen the flash of vulnerability because Kuroko barely managed to dodge the upward thrust of a hidden knife. Kuroko leapt back and immediately clutched his ribs. The line of fire that ran down his right side and the blood seeping through his fingers told Kuroko that the cut wasn't too deep or lethal, but it wasn't something to scoff at either.

Kuroko was about to corner Haizaki again and subdue him, when another figure appeared behind Haizaki, aimed and shot at the large bulletproof windows that line the hallways. The blood seeping through his fingers made him sluggish because before Kuroko could rush forward, the new figure had already emptied a magazine of armour piercing bullets into the window panes and forged a hole big enough for Haizaki to climb through.

Kuroko swore and stepped forward but his left leg buckled and he dropped like a puppet with its strings cut. With shaking fingers, Kuroko tore a strip of fabric and wound it around the bullet wound decorating his left thigh. Then he ran his fingers along the seams of his kevlar vest and slowly peeled it off. Kuroko grimaced and prodded the sluggishly bleeding wound on his side. Haizaki must have aimed in between the seams of the vest, and usually Kuroko would have been able to avoid that trap but the shock of meeting someone from his old life and the pounding PTSD-induced panic that wreaked havoc in his stomach, threw him off-balance.

The soft thumping sound of feet made him perk up and the sight of Midorima made all the leftover tension and pain melt from his body. The reflection of utter relief on his bond mate's face comforted Kuroko.

With a small grimace and a relieved sigh, Midorima limped to his side and gingerly lowered himself down next to Kuroko. A warm weight was plastered against Kuroko's side and he sighed before resting his cheek on Midorima's uninjured shoulder. Kuroko gave a weary sigh and closed his eyes.

The distant sound of approaching feet and the crackle of electricity along their bond made him feel safe, and Kuroko couldn't help a small, tired twitch of his lips when Midorima said in a voice tinged with relief, exasperation and fondness: "I can hear Ryouta and Daiki's voices from here."

* * *

Kagami straightened, gritted his teeth in frustration and ran his fingers through his hair before he opened the infirmary door and stepped inside. There, propped up on an infirmary bed, was his assignment's designated partner, Haizaki Shougo.

Kagami placed his clenched fists behind him in a resting parade pose before addressing the figure standing near the window.

"Sir."

"Council member Kagami, I've read your report concerning the infiltration of a possible rebel safehouse."

Seto Kentaro's face was obscured by darkness but his voice dropped several degrees colder. "Your report says that you were not able to identify the identity of your opponent because of the dim lighting and tactical gear they had on…"

Kagami kept his expression relaxed. "Yes that is correct, sir."

There was a noncommittal hum and a rustle of paper, before the General straightened.

"I see. That's a pity."

"-But not all is lost. It seems like Shougo-kun identified his opponent as one of our _missing dogs_."

Kagami could feel the sweat leave cold trails on the nape of his neck.

"Is that true, Council member Kagami-kun?"

Kagami gave a sharp nod and there wasn't a hint of vulnerability or conflict in his voice. "Yes, it was Kuroko Tetsuya. The Phantom."

Seto Kentaro's lips stretched out in a malicious, hungry smirk.

"The boy must have seen us execute his parents…-Interesting. _Very, very interesting_."

_-'damn it!'-_

The voice in Kagami's head made his headache pound. He was there as a witness when Kuroko's parents were executed and a new flame of hatred for the Supreme Council blazed in his heart. Kagami never understood the difficulties Inferiors went through because he was never directly exposed to it, but now his naivety was gone. Now he was able to understand why Riko and why his mentor, Kiyoshi, despised the Council. Why they despised the system so much. Why his brother, Tatsuya Himuro, left his Council seat and entrusted it to Kagami. The burning hatred Kagami had for the Council was slowly growing. Now, he wanted to join in his friends' fight. Wanted to join Kiyoshi and Riko and support the cause because, now, he was sure. 

Now he knew, without a single doubt in his bones, that the Supreme council had to be _destroyed._


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! ;)  
> This chapter is not so intense, and a bit low-key... The whole chapter is around 5,000-6,000 words but I decided to post half of it first because the next few chapters have to flow well before I can post so yeah sorry, my bubblegums! This is a short but relevant chapter and I hope it meets your expectations. Enjoy!
> 
> Hugs,  
> Aydsa
> 
> (reviews, comments, likes and everything else is appreciated!)  
> This story is not beta'd so don't hesitate to tell me when correction is needed. *blows kisses*

The door closed with a heavy thump, and a large, familiar hand settled on his neck. Long fingers stroked the fine, stray strands of his hair and Kise couldn’t help sighing. Kise gave Murasakibara a reassuring smile, turned and left a soft, lingering kiss on their violet-haired giant. Murasakibara’s arms were safe and tight with tempered strength, but the desperation in the embrace made Kise’s heart twinge.

Kise returned the embrace with just as much fervour before the arms around him relaxed. The dark, deep violet eyes glinted with renewed life and the small tickle of relief from his bondmate made his own eyes light up.

 “Do you need anything else Ki-chin?”

 Kise gave a brisk nod but all of a sudden his fingers spasmed and clenched around rolls of bandages and antiseptic.

 “Yeah...Could you-” The words dried up in his throat and he averted his eyes. The small tremors running through his hands and the bubbling feeling of panic in his chest electrified the tiny currents of panic under his skin.  

The sudden appearance of Murasakibara’s hands in Kise’s line of sight surprised him and he flinched, but the only reaction from his bondmate was to envelop his hands in a tender hold. The soothing feel of thumbs running along his pulse lulled the simmering panic in Kise’s chest into a humble flicker of anxiety. 

“The gauze, suture needles and thread, right Ki-chin?” Kise couldn't do anything except nod, but his bondmate understood because in an instant, there was a fleeting, familiar brush of _comfortlovereassurance_ against his mind before Murasakibara went to fetch the supplies.

Kise clenched his eyes and clutched at the humming strands of the bond in his mind. Without hesitating, Kise dove into the pulsating tangle of minds, and the background, barely audible hum of voices burst and filled his head until his ears were ringing with his mates’ beautiful voices. The myriad of voices filled his head; the sound was deafening and unbearably painful...but at the same time, it made the constricting band around Kise’s chest disappear and the simmering panic crawling under his skin to fizzle out.

 Kise gave another sigh before he reluctantly withdrew and opened his eyes. Murasakibara was standing in front of him with a black kit in one hand and an affectionate twinkle in his violet eyes.

 His bondmate’s whispered a “Let's go Ki-chin” before a large, calloused palm settled against his back and guided him forwards. The warmth that seeped through Murasakibara’s palm, calmed Kise and he squared his shoulders and walked quickly towards their bed where Kuroko and Midorima were recovering. Akashi and Aomine looked up at the sound of their footsteps, and Kise saw a brief grateful smile from Akashi before the redhead returned to their injured bondmates. Kise sat down gingerly on the bed and reached out a hand to brush against Midorima’s knuckles.

 Midorima turned his hand and grasped Kise’s hand tightly, while his other tape-covered hand gripped his bleeding shoulder.

 “Hey hey...it’s ok Midorimacchi.” Kise voice was pitched low and placid, as if it was reassuring a spooked animal.

 Midorima’s emerald eyes darted to him and Kise caught his bondmate’s slightly frantic gaze. “There you go, Midorimacchi.” Then Kise reached his other hand forward and nudged Kuroko’s chin up until the glazed sky-blue eyes met his molten amber eyes. “You too, Kurokocchi.”

 “There you go...hey, hey it’s alright-” Kise ran his fingers along Midorima’s knuckles and Kuroko’s flushed cheek in a soothing, repetitive rhythm. “Keep your eyes on me, ok?”

 Behind Kuroko and Midorima, Kise saw how quickly Murasakibara had lain out the medical supplies and how the others were methodically cleaning the wounds.

 Murasakibara had a gentle hold on Kuroko’s leg while Akashi was cleaning the bullet wound with a sterilized gauze. With steady hands, Akashi used the sterilized forceps and slowly dipped it into the wound. Kise saw Kuroko tense before his fingers dug into the flesh of his own arm.

 “Hey Kurokocchi --No, don’t do that-” Kise pried the fingers apart, but he barely managed to suppress the flinch from the white-knuckled clutch Kuroko had on his hand before he immersed himself back into the bond.

 With a small tweak, Kise directed the throbbing agony from Midorima and Kuroko to spread evenly along the bond. Kise gave a barely-audible grunt at the additional pain running along his nerves and lighting them on fire, but at the sight of pain leaving the creases of his bondmates’ eyes and how their hands sagged in relief in his grasp, he would gladly accept all the pain if he could.

 Kise smiled when he saw the gratitude in Midorima’s eyes and the small spark of life returning to Kuroko’s eyes. “You doing ok there, Midorimacchi?”

 Midorima’s reply was a shy, grateful “Yes”.

 Kise chuckled before he leaned forward and gave a flirtatious wink. “Midorimacchi is so adorable when he blushes, isn’t he Kurokocchi?”

 Kise nearly broke out in hysterical relief when Kuroko slowly blinked and the glazed look in his eyes disappeared completely. Those bright sky-blue eyes he had come to love so much was back, and Kise couldn’t help the cheerful, relieved chuckle and smile that broke out.

 Aomine’s dark royal-blue eyes caught his and Aomine flashed him a fond, affectionate smirk that made Kise want to kiss the twinkle of amusement off that face, but he refrained,  instead Kise sent a poke along the bond that made Aomine roll his eyes in amusement.

 However a few seconds later, there was a miniscule spike of pain along the bond before Midorima’s shoulder went rigid. Aomine abruptly paused, leaned forward and whispered into the nape of Midorima’s neck, “You ok, Shin?”

 A few seconds passed before Aomine received a tiny, sharp nod. At the face of such bravery, Kise would not be able to help leaving a kiss if he were in Aomine’s place, and Aomine’s fond reply indicated that his bondmate couldn’t help it too.

 “Hang in there. We’re nearly done, Shin.”

 Kise smirked when he saw Aomine lean forward and leave a kiss on Midorima’s neck, with a tender glint in Aomine’s eyes that said _I’ve-lost-this-battle-before-it-even-begun_. Through their bond, Kise felt a feather-light touch before a wave of fresh pain hit his senses. From the corner of his eye, he saw Akashi’s fingers twitch before they resumed their stitching, and when he met Aomine’s eyes, there was apology in those dark blue irises. 

 In response, Kise gave Aomine a wink and a cheerful smile because he could feel how Midorima relaxed; How Midorima's long, slender hands went lax and shook with tiny tremors of relief.

 Kise tightened his grip on Midorima and muttered a low soothing “See...Aominecchi’s nearly done,” before he turned to Kuroko, caught his eyes and enveloped his bondmates in the fluffiest, comfiest feeling of love Kise could express. Immediately Kise felt shy, content replies from Kuroko and Midorima through the bond, and he squeezed their hands in affection.

 Then, abruptly, another spasm of intense pain flared along their nerves. The pain that ran along the bond was so excruciating he could feel Akashi and Aomine's attentions wavering and his own walls cracking, but he couldn't let that happen so he sent Murasakibara a questioning ping. His bondmate gave him an unwavering, resounding _yes_ in response.

 So without wasting another second, Kise mended his walls before he cut off the access points and leeched all the pain from the rest of the bond into his own mind. Kise could feel cold sweat running down his neck and the vice wrapped around his chest made him feel like he was suffocating. Kise didn't realize he had been holding his breath for a few minutes until Murasakibara’s gentle touch startled him back, and the sudden breath he took made him feel like his lungs were on fire and his skin was melting off his body.

 Kise could feel Murasakibara's presence envelop him but he couldn't respond. The only thing he could do in his mind was curl up into a ball and push all his willpower into keeping his shields up. The next thing Kise could feel was a large pop before the agony lighting his nerves on fire dulled. Kise gave a watery gasp and blinked unfocused, blurry eyes at Murasakibara. His bondmate must have understood because there was an amused, comforting ping along the bond before Murasakibara retreated.

 There was another fresh wave of pain before the metallic sound of a snip was heard, but the pain this time wasn't as unbearable- the burden evenly shared between him and Murasakibara.

 “It's done Tetsuya. How are you feeling?” Akashi's voice was low and soothing, like butter on bread.

 Gloves were removed and bagged before Akashi reached forwards and cupped Kuroko's flushed cheeks. Kise saw Kuroko sag forward and lean against Akashi with a tired, weak nod, at the same time Midorima shakily blinked and collapsed against a sweaty, grinning Aomine.

 “You did good Shin. We all did _damn_ good.” Aomine's grin was unabashedly happy.

 Kise chuckled despite the pain he and Murasakibara were still leeching off.

 “Ao-chin and Aka-chin were really fast. Both of you did amazing jobs~” Murasakibara’s happy reply made Akashi give a small grin and Aomine to triumphantly smirk.

 Midorima's soft, sincere reply made Kise want to leap towards them and hug the living daylights out of all his adorable bondmates!

 “Thank you...Daiki. Thank you...Seijuro.”

 Akashi sent Midorima a reassuring smile before the redhead bent and left a lingering kiss on Kuroko's forehead. There was a comfortable lull of silence and Kise sunk against the line of warmth plastered against his side. Kise placed his head on Murasakibara’s shoulder when he felt an arm snake around his waist and a cold hand run through his sweaty locks.

 “I apologize...Tetsuya...Shintaro. If I had-” Akashi’s aching whisper echoed in the ensuing silence.

 Kise felt his eyes widen in shock and he spluttered indignantly, “W-WHAT! No! How can it be your fault- That’s !-”

 Aomine’s anger was sharp and raw through the bond and Murasakibara’s cold fury made his hold on Kise’s waist tight and harsh. Kise suppressed a flinch before he grabbed Murasakibara’s white-knuckled fist. The pressure around his waist immediately lessened and an apologetic kiss was placed on the crown of his head.

 “How the hell is this your fault, Sei?! We did all we could-” Aomine’s voice was tight with adrenaline-fueled anger.

 “This wouldn’t have happened if I did my job! If I did it perfectly!” The redhead’s voice was not extremely loud, but the sight of Akashi losing grip on his self-control shocked Kise into silence.

 The bond was a roiling mess and the scorching, rankling feeling of rage, distress and heartache pounded against his shields with the sheer force of a hurricane. Kise glanced up at Murasakibara and wasn’t surprised to see that his face was pale and the corners of his dark-violet eyes were filled with tension.

 “Sei-” Kuroko’s voice was a near-silent whisper but Kise heard it along the bond.

 “Seijuro-” Kise saw Kuroko blearily reach up and cup Akashi’s cheeks before he leaned their foreheads together.

 “It’s not your fault. S-Shintaro and I don’t blame you for this. So don’t blame yourself, please-” Kuroko’s voice trailed off into a distressed, pleading whisper.

 Kise saw Akashi suck in a hitched breath before he nodded, wound his arms around Kuroko, and pressed his face into Kuroko’s neck. The sight of Akashi losing his composure rocked Kise to the core.

 Kuroko’s baby-blue eyes widened and he shot Kise a slightly alarmed look. Kise sent his bondmate an equally desperate look when the feeling of helplessness that ran through the bond gave a sharp pulse. Kise winced; keeping his mental shields up was hard enough with the siphoned pain battering against his walls, but it was even harder when the tsunami wave of helplessness slammed into his already-strained barriers.

 Midorima’s voice flitted across the edges of the bond, soothing pains that ached too deeply and fear that consumed too fast.

 “Seijuro-” The command in that tone made everybody snap to attention. Akashi didn’t move a muscle but Kise could feel the - _desperationpainfailuremisery_ \- receding, and Kise couldn’t help the whisper-soft groan that he let out.

 In a gentler tone, Midorima continued “You will never fail us. We will never be like the people who punished you for every small failure-” Midorima’s words were raw; laced with anger at the ones who dared called themselves Akashi’s guardians.

 “We will never be like them because nothing you do could ever disappoint us. You’re good enough; you don’t need to change so don’t let their ghosts break you.”

 Midorima’s voice was soft but fierce. It was like thunder in the vast silence of their room.

 “No matter who you are and what you do...You will always be _ours_ -” There was a faint dusting of red on MIdorima’s cheeks but his voice was steady and vehement.

 When Kise glanced back at Akashi, he saw the redhead had relaxed his hold on Kuroko and was facing Midorima with a neutral but intense gaze. Kise saw Midorima’s blush brighten slightly before he averted his green eyes, pushed his glasses up and cleared his throat.

 “I didn’t recognize the two men who managed to infiltrate our safe house tonight.”

 Kise felt Murasakibara’s chest rumble and he glanced at the violet-haired giant with a questioning look.

 “Mido-chin didn’t see anything. That’s a pity~”

 Kise gave Murasakibara the judgmental eyebrow... _What’s with the vague, leading comments?_

 -but Kise’s thought was cut off before he could think any deeper on it when Aomine said, “Wait-...Did you see anything, Tetsu?”

 Kise could see the moment Aomine connected the dots. “They saw us, _didn’t the_ y?! _Damn it all_ ; Shin and Tetsu need to be moved immediately, Sei.”

 Kise saw Aomine’s arms around Midorima’s waist tighten and his shoulders bunch up in defensiveness.

 “Tetsuya, did you recognize the infiltrators?” The tired murmur was filled with certainty. Kise felt his jaw drop open in shock and he gave Aomine a disbelieving glance.

 “Tetsuya” Akashi’s admonishment was a barely-there mutter.

 Kise saw Kuroko’s eyes nervously tracking the movements of his fingers on the sheets before Akashi’s hand stopped the aimless movement and enveloped the hand in an easy hold. Kise saw Kuroko’s eyes snap to his enveloped hand before he squeezed Akashi’s hand and replied in the softest tone he could muster.

 “I saw...someone-  someone I knew from my time with the Council.”

 “Who was it?” was Akashi’s equally gentle question.

 Kuroko glanced at Akashi and reluctantly sighed, “Haizaki...Shougo.”

 “-I knew him from before. We- we worked together on some Council missions…”

 Kise pinched his nose when he felt an oncoming headache pounding through his temples.

 “We can’t stay here anymore. This location is compromised.” Akashi’s voice was filled with exhaustion and grim acceptance.

 “I will call my contacts…” Kise saw Akashi’s face soften and steel-clad determination danced along the bond. “Rest first. Let _me_ handle the details-” was the tender murmur before Akashi scooted off the bed, reached under Kuroko’s knees and back and gently lifted him.

 Akashi slowly walked around the bed and before Kise was aware of it, a warm weight was settled against him. Blearily, Kise blinked and he was met with the sight of his bondmate’s dark crimson eyes. Akashi reached forward and ran fingers across his fringe, sweeping the sweaty locks off his forehead. Kise felt his pounding headache diminish at the touch and nuzzled against the cold hand.

 “Let go Ryouta-” As soon as Akashi said that, Kise gave a firm shake of his head.

 He _could_ handle it...There was no need for all his bondmates to suffer…

 They needed to recover anyways so Kise wearily closed his eyes and leaned back against Murasakibara.

 Through a hazy fog, Kise felt Akashi give an exasperated but resigned snort before chapped lips touched his forehead , “-So stubborn” the low, hushed mumble was like a fleeting breeze against his skin.

 Kise was barely able to enjoy Akashi’s presence before there was a tap along his shields, and they broke apart. He hissed at the new wave of pain, but before he could rebuild his shields to contain the rampant chaos, the pain rapidly shrunk. Shakily, Kise reached forward and circled Akashi’s wrist before he leveled his bondmate with a chiding glare.

 “Akashicchi...that’s cheating.”

 Akashi’s lips quirked in amusement and Murasakibara’s following chuckles sent vibrations along his spine. Kise grumbled under his breath before he narrowed his eyes at the violet-haired giant behind him, but a thumb running along his pulse made his mind screech to a halt.

 “Ryouta- be careful,Tetsuya and Shintaro are sleeping.”

 Kise froze and tentatively glanced down at the slumbering body resting against him. Kuroko was fast asleep with his head pillowed on Kise’s shoulder. However, Akashi’s fond whisper snapped him out off his intense gazing and he glanced at the redhead.

 “Atsushi, try to get some rest too. Make sure Ryouta and Tetsuya are taken care of. I’ll be back as soon as possible. Let’s hope that we can find a solution in the next 24 hours.”

 That was the last thing Kise heard before his bondmate turned and left the room. The sight of two guards standing outside their room hit him with the impact of a boulder, and Kise hid his face against Murasakibara’s neck. It was a hard and bitter thing to digest because they just got here...and _now_ they have to leave _again_.

 The scent of his violet-haired bondmate soothed some of that chaotic distress stirring inside his chest; It soothed it enough for Kise to be able to close his eyes and fall into the deep, dark world of dreams.

* * *

The phone in his pocket vibrated and the suddenness of it startled him. Kagami swore under his breath before he extricated his phone and glanced at the screen. The number flashing on his screen was familiar and it brought a mediocum sense of comfort to his frayed nerves.

 “Hyuuga-senpai. I’m already-” The abrupt presence of somebody next to him, made him flinch and Kagami swung his fist instinctively. His swing was deflected by an underarm push that made him stagger back slightly.

 Kagami swore under his breath and scowled at the offender, “ _God damn it!_ You nearly gave me a heart attack-”

 Hyuuga just chuckled at him when he straightened.

 “Teppei just got back. How long did you wait for?”

 His friend’s voice was casual but there was an undercurrent of forced-nonchalance that made him discretely scrutinize his surroundings.

 “Not long, senpai.” Kagami answered back casually and blandly before he tagged on the phrase: “I actually just got here. The sky is clearer now, it was a bit dark and cloudy when I left.”

 From the corner of his eye, his senpai nodded before giving a noncommittal hum. Kagami exhaled a relieved but tired sigh, “Don’t worry Hyuga-senpai. I lost all my tails a while ago and there’s a jamming device in my pocket that will run for a few more hours.”

 Hyuga-senpai gave him an appraising look and a proud smile. “Looks like you’ve learned quite a bit from your time on your new assignment. I’m glad you’re back. We were starting to get worried about you.”

 “I know. The assignment...was-” Kagami’s voice froze; he couldn’t seem to be able to put all his jumbled thoughts into words.

 A hand landed on his shoulders and the motion snapped his mind back to the present, and Kagami gave his concerned friend a sheepish look.

 “I’m ok, senpai.-” Kagami cleared his throat before he nodded towards their destination: The Kiyoshi mansion.

 “-It just took a bit of a toll on me...that’s all. I’ll- I’ll talk about the details when we meet up with the others.” Hyuga gave him an inscrutable look that was intense and it made him feel oddly transparent; and internally, Kagami fought the urge to escape from that piercing, knowing gaze.

 Kagami nearly sighed in relief when Hyuga solemnly nodded and reached up. Kagami wanted to scowl when his hair was ruffled but the glint of unconcealed relief and worry stopped him in his tracks.

 “Hyuga-senpai?-” Kagami glanced at his friend before he headed towards the main room.

 “I just- yeah...I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m sorry-” He could practically hear the utter shock and surprise directed at his back.

 “-It’s not that _damn_ surprising is it?-” Kagami growled under his breath before he steeled himself and muttered, “It’s - I’m sorry I never understood before; but now I do and I’ll help as much as I can.”

 The wave of guilt and self-loathing is like a bubbling volcano under his lungs and every breath he took felt like ash.

 “I know I can’t make up all those...all those years I turned a blind eye. I know it doesn’t excuse-”

His words were cut off by a gentle, firm hand that rested on his shoulder.

 “Taiga. Jun doesn’t blame you, nor do _we_ blame you.” Kiyoshi stood in front of him with an arm wrapped around his bondmate’s waist and a fond smile. There wasn’t any judgement in that smile- no shred of hatred or anger, and he simply couldn’t understand how Kiyoshi could forgive him so easily.

 “You were just a 15 year old child when you took the Council seat. Plunged into the world of demons without anyone beside you.” Kiyoshi gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

 “We didn’t approach you with the intention of dragging you into our fight. We did it because we wanted to be your friends...because we wanted to help you-.” Kagami ducked his head and avoided his friends’ eyes. The feeling of guilt inside his chest was astronomical and it threatened to make him nauseous.  

 His friends must have seen his discomfort because there were familiar fingers running through his hair. Hyuga was standing in front of him with a kind smile, “You didn’t need to help me.”

 Hyuga’s dark eyes sparkled with affection, “I met Teppei three years before I met you. Ever since I met him, I experienced what it was like to truly live for the first time.”

 “So you never saw us suffering and you never saw or had any experience with it...until now.” Hyuga’s voice was soothing but the tint of remorse made a lump form in his throat.

 “We never wanted you to choose sides…” was his senpai’s regretful whisper.

 Kagami squared his shoulders and met Hyuga’s eyes. “But now I _have chosen_ and I will do everything I can to destroy the Supreme council, so don’t you dare think about leaving me out of this!”

 His friends gave each other a long look before Kiyoshi sighed and chuckled. “Don’t worry Taiga. We won’t.”

 The sudden knock on the door startled them out of their conversation and all of three heads turned towards their new addition.

 “Sorry, I was held up. Some paperwork needed to be submitted by-” Riko’s voice trailed off in uncertainty.

 “Wait, did something happen?” Kagami shared a look with Kiyoshi before his friend sat down and nonchalantly said,

 “Well, I just received a phone call from someone; It was... _very unexpected_."

 “Wha-...Who-” Kagami didn’t even finish his sentence before Hyuga-senpai cut in with a simple but world-shattering:

“Akashi Seijuro. One of the Generation of Miracles.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout-out to the amazing, awesome, fabulicious DemonAngel606 and her/his story, Light in the Darkness! Go check out her/his Kuroko no basuke fic based in this universe. Her/his writing skills are strong and mesmerizing so go give DemonAngel606-chan some love :)
> 
> If anyone has fanart or fanfics posted about this verse, don't hesitate to PM the link to your creation ;) I would love to read it or to stare at it in awe.
> 
> Remember to be nice and kind to each other. Let's spread some love!
> 
> Aydsa out! ;)


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RL is tough and I haven't managed to update as much as I like. So sorry my dears! 
> 
> P.S all I wanted to say is Happy Lunar New Year 2017! and thank you for supporting this fic even though the updates are so sporadic and I'm so unreliable... :( 
> 
> Thank you so much for all the comments, subscriptions, faves and kudos!!! <3  
> They mean so much!

The car purred as it raced towards their destination and, in the driver’s seat, Murasakibara shifted the gear before the car swerved. Akashi met his bondmate’s eyes through the rear view mirror when concern reared its head in his chest, but the steady gleam in Murasakibara’s eyes assuaged his worries. Akashi returned his gaze back to the magnetic chess piece in his hand before he tapped it against the armrest in thought.

“Akashicchi- Aka-”: Akashi blinked and turned to the voice.

Kise had a gentle, restraining palm on his hand, and when he realized why, Akashi tiredly sighed and shot his bondmate an apologetic smile.

“Sorry Ryouta...I was just thinking about some things. Did the sound distract you?”

Kise gave him a long stare that penetrated his skin. The silence in the car passed in a loud beat.

“Are you-” Those honey-gold eyes drifted downwards before it shot up again and held Akashi’s gaze.

“-Are you alright? You haven’t been talking much- Who did you-” Akashi pocketed his chess piece before he reached up and ran a thumb across Kise’s cheek and along the underside of his chin.

“Do you trust me, Ryouta?”

Kise’s beautiful golden eyes were wide with surprise and Akashi gave a soft chuckle at the sight. With fondness beating in his chest like a drum, Akashi tugged Kise’s chin down until their breaths mingled. Akashi felt Kise’s forehead gently thump against his own and the sight of Kise’s sparkling eyes made all the leftover tension in Akashi’s body fade away.

The bond among them gave a small ripple before it settled, and Akashi could feel the tension leech out of all of his bondmates at once.

The soft “Yes. With my life.” echoed in the space between them with the force of an explosion, and it arrested all the oxygen in Akashi’s lungs. The words struck a chord in him and it felt like everything in his world, everything he was born for was right _here_. He existed because of _them_.

Nothing had ever made him feel this emotional. This _attached_ before.

From young, Akashi thought that he was born defective; he didn’t feel attached to anyone and rarely felt emotions as deeply as others did. He couldn’t understand or empathize with anyone else and it felt like he was an observer in a this play called ‘Life’.

That all changed when Akashi met Midorima.

Midorima was a soft, gentle soul with a stoic armor built to mask crippling social anxiety and a gangly shyness. Slowly, Akashi’s senses were awakened and dragged out to the forefront. The colours started to bleed into his world and he slowly tasted and felt the full range this earth could offer, and from then on, Akashi could never return. He could never return to that drab and dull world. Everything in his world is categorized into two groups: ‘before bonding’ and ‘after bonding’; and the red-head wouldn’t change it for the world.

“Don’t worry. It’s going to be alright.” Akashi breathed that promise into Kise’s lips, and when he leaned back into his seat, Akashi ran a thumb underneath his bondmate’s eyes.

Kise’s eyes were bright with fondness and his bondmate turned Akashi’s wrist upwards and pressed warm lips on the strip of bare skin peeking from the suit’s sleeve just as the car rolled to a stop. Akashi reluctantly tugged his wrist back, and a moment later, his door opened with a soft click.

Murasakibara stood there patiently, but as soon as Akashi stepped out, his violet-haired bondmate pressed a large, steady palm into the curve of his spine.

“Ki-chin and Aka-chin will stand behind me so I can protect you, ok?”

Akashi tipped his head up and those purple irises centered his mind until his breath slowed to a lethargic rhythm. The heat of his bondmate’s hand travelled down and an arm was unashamedly looped around his waist; the tension in Murasakibara’s frame dulled when his hand met the cold metal of a gun in Akashi’s belt holster.

“Atsushi, we’ll be fine.”

The heat in those lilac orbs didn’t waver one iota. There was a long pause of tension crackling in the air between them before Murasakibara’s hand retracted and he gave Akashi a sharp nod. Without another word, they broke eye contact with each other and pulled their armours on, until all the cracks and weaknesses were sealed behind the bomb bunkers in their hearts.

Akashi ran a hand through his hair and down the lapels of his black suit before he sent a satisfied ping along the bond.

The small, cobbled alleyway was just large enough for a car to drive through and the thick steel blast door was camouflaged so well it took Akashi a few seconds to spot it. As soon as he spotted it, the bond surged with acknowledgement and Murasakibara pushed forward and plastered himself against the door as it swung open.

From the corner of Akashi’s eyes he saw his violet-haired bondmate gingerly edge inside with a gun pointed steadily and unwaveringly into the darkness.

The second Akashi walked through the door and Kise pushed the door closed, a familiar calloused palm shoved him back and Akashi was tucked behind Murasakibara before he could even blink.

“I wouldn’t try that if I were you, ojou-chan.” Even though Kise’s voice was cheerful, the threat was as loud as thunder in the cavernous confines of the concrete room. The girl before them had a gun pointed at Murasakibara. Under the dim fluorescent lights, Aida Riko’s eyes gleamed with barely concealed disgust and blatant distrust. In front of him, Murasakibara’s grip on the gun tightened and his bondmate’s focus sharpened until it felt like a metal dagger against their bond.

The monster inside Akashi’s mind salivated in joy, and he let the exhilaration and adrenaline flood his veins until the predatory silence in his mind enveloped every limb in his body.

Akashi straightened, rocked back on his heels and leisurely took a few steps back. In the next heartbeat, he let a dark smirk languish on his lips.

“That’s no way to treat a guest, _Aida_.”

Akashi reached into his pocket and his smirk grew when the girl gave a minute flinch and pointed the gun, point-blanche, at his face.

The only thing that stopped his bondmates, a hair’s breadth from the trigger, was Akashi’s unflinching assurance through the bond. They trust his judgment explicitly. Akashi knew that if Kise or Murasakibara sensed the smallest hint of fear or uncertainty, they were going to shoot first, ask later; so Akashi strangled his emotions into a box deep inside his mind and made sure that all he could feel was the stirring predator. The dark, dangerous creature that he had been honed into by his dead parents.

And well...Akashi knew, without a doubt, that Riko wouldn’t shoot him.

 _No,_ she _couldn’t_ shoot him, no matter how much she wanted to.

From the corner of his eyes, Kise’s eyes were as angry as a raging hurricane. Bright amber eyes flickered with an inhuman light. It reminded Akashi of a hungry vulture perched on a mound of carcasses.

“You’re in the hot zone, _darling_. One twitch and my finger might _accidentally_ slip.”

The casual, teasing tone contrasted with the gun muzzle that Kise held an inch away from Riko’s temple.

Akashi was slightly impressed to see that the young Council Member didn’t even react to the gun hovering so close to her temple. Riko didn’t give any indication of fear, but the simmering distaste in her eyes intensified and Akashi gave a tiny chuckle at the glare directed at him.

The standstill between them shattered when a voice sliced through the air with the force of a guillotine.

“I apologize for the wait. I had to deal with an urgent issue that suddenly came up-” The steps came closer until a figure stepped into the light.

“Akashi Seijuro, it’s a pleasure to be able to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Kiyoshi walked towards the crowd and placed a palm on Riko’s gun and gently coaxed her arms down. Akashi could see how much Riko trusted Kiyoshi, in the speed at which she complied and how she didn’t even hesitate or argue back at him.

Akashi cocked his head, reached forwards and placed a hand in Kiyoshi’s open palm. The handshake was firm, but not overly tight and Akashi relaxed inside when he realized that this man wasn’t interested in dominance plays or ego boosts.

“Likewise, Council Member Kiyoshi Teppei. An _Uncrowned King-_ ”

Akashi smile was sharp and knowing.

“ _The Iron Heart_.”

Kiyoshi replied with an equally amused grin: “I expect nothing less from the Generation of Miracles. We're deeply grateful for all the help you have provided us over the years.”

“It’s not a big effort for us to provide help. Your ideals and intentions were in line with ours.”

Through the bond, Akashi felt Kise and Murasakibara’s alertness and interest surge and Akashi spared a moment to converse with them through the bond, but Akashi might have been gone too long because when his focus came back, Kiyoshi was scrutinizing him.

“So the rumors _are true_. You're bonded with one another.”

Akashi felt a flare of frustration well up. His shields were more frayed than he realized because the split-second late reaction was caught by Kiyoshi’s observant eyes, and the collective reaction from his bondmates was grim acceptance. There was no point trying to hide it from Kiyoshi because to build trust, they needed to let their allies in.

So Akashi gave Kise a mental confirmation, and as Kise brushed past he trailed a tender hand down Akashi’s wrist to the tips of his fingers.

“Yes, we are, but you know what it’s like too, don’t you?”

Akashi wanted to chuckle at the surprise the flitted across Kiyoshi’s face but he was able to suppress it in the nick of time.

“I expect nothing less from the infamous Kise Ryouta.”

“ _Why,_ thank you _._ ” Kise’s voice was full of flirtatious glee and his bondmate turned around when Murasakibara passed a small manila envelope over.

“Here’s all the information I could find. It wasn’t easy and there wasn’t much out there, but it’s enough.”

Kise ripped open the envelope and passed Kiyoshi two USB sticks.

“Both of them have 192 bit encryption and self-destruct software, so be careful not to activate the self-destruct software by accident.”

Kise gave Kiyoshi a warm smile and Akashi was surprised to see that it was a genuine one.

“I know we usually do this through third-party drops and through encrypted networks in the deep web, but Akashicchi contacted you and I wasn’t even told.”

Akashi wanted to rub his forehead in exasperation when Kise shot him a narrow-eyed glare and a pout, but the cold, analyzing feeling from Kise through the bond made Akashi grin instead.

His blonde fox was an bundle of slyness wrapped in a coat of enigma and child-like quirks.

“I need a favour.” Akashi walked towards the sofa in the middle of the room and sprawled against the armrest. He rested his chin on his knuckles and waited until Kiyoshi took the seat across him.

“My safehouse. The one in Niigata, has been compromised.”

Kiyoshi sighed and ran along his forehead before he cradled his chin.

“ _That’s_...That was longest safehouse the rebellion had access to. The most protected and well-hidden one in our network.”

Akashi nodded grimly: “There was a mole. Someone had access to our information. I don’t know how far this breach goes yet.”

“Alright, I’ll make sure the others know.”

Kiyoshi leaned back against the seat and the sight of Kiyoshi’s exhaustion being displayed so easily, made Akashi’s walls fade and he allowed his body to lean heavily against the armrest.

“I need to move two people. I need someone I can trust, someone who would _give up their lives_ to keep Inferiors safe.”

The tension in the atmosphere ratcheted up a notch. It was only broken when Kise placed steadying hands on Akashi’’s shoulders and said:

“We need someplace where our-”

Kise’s flinty eyes drilled into Kiyoshi’s in a look that was so intense, it could have peeled paint off the walls.

“Where our **_bondmates_** can lay low for a while.”

There was a beat of stunned silence.

_One, two, three, four -_

before Kiyoshi gave a heavy sigh and fished out a phone from his pocket.

“I think I have someone who fits that description.”

The brunette scrolled down the contacts of his phone, stopped and shot them a slightly kind yet amused glance.

“I believe you’ve met each other before…”

* * *

 

As soon as Kagami hung up, all the tension in his body bled out in a weary wave and he gave his phone a frustrated look before he flung it at the sofa in his guest room.

Even though he had promised Kiyoshi, his mentor, that he was going to go full in, the arrival of Kiyoshi’s acquaintances in such a short notice made him want to tear his hair out. The sound of a car on the gravel snapped Kagami out of his irritated funk and through the window he could make out his friend’s black head of hair in the front passenger seat. With another tired sigh, Kagami straightened his rumpled jacket before he headed down to greet Kyoshi’s guest.

The black car rolled to a stop and Hyuga-senpai stepped out and held the door open. His friend shot him a reassuring smile, but the hint of laughter in those coal eyes made Kagami utterly baffled, but the next moment, Kagami immediately understood why.

The person that stepped out of the car was tall and the shock of familiar forest-green hair made Kagami wish that the ground would swallow him up. The following person that was gently lifted out and on to a wheelchair was his new friend. The one that he tentatively made on his assignment. The one that Kagami genuinely wanted to know on a deeper level.

Standing in front of him were Midorima Shintaro and Kuroko Tetsuya. The only thing that Kagami could do was to blurt out the steadiest greeting he could muster in this situation.

“Yo, it seems like we’ll be living together for the foreseeable future.”

Midorima pushed up his glasses and gave Kagami a calculating, perfunctory nod.

“Yes, it seems like it. My name is Midorima Shintaro and we’ve met briefly but I didn’t catch your name.”

Kuroko reached up, gripped Midorima’s palm on his uninjured side and gave it a small tug.

“He’s Kagami-kun. Um- Kagami Taiga.”

When Kuroko shot him a small grin, Kagami returned it with a wide and genuine smile: “Kagami-kun, thank you for letting us stay. We don’t have...we’re really grateful.”

  
Midorima gave a painful, reluctant nod when Kuroko nudged an elbow into his hip, and Kagami let out a loud chuckle at the sight. He caught Hyuga’s eyes over Kuroko’s shoulder and his friend nodded and, in the next moment, Hyuga corralled their new guests up to the guest rooms.


End file.
